^M^- 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

LIBRARY 


THE  WILMER  COLLECTION 

OF  CIVIL  WAR  NOVELS 

PRESENTED  BY 

RICHARD  H.  WILMER,  JR. 


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Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2010  with  funding  from 

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http://www.archive.org/details/blueballoontaleohors 


Down  came  Eplnaiiii's  rifle  to  the  cliai'ge  again. 


Page  153. 


BALUrOf^ 


THE     BLUE     BALLOON 


A   TALE  OF 


THE    SHENANDOAH    VALLEY 


REGINALD    HORSLEY 

AUTHOR   OF   'THE   YELLOW   GOD;'    ETC. 


WITH  SIX  ILLUSTRATIONS 


^V.    S.    S  T  j^  C  E  Y 


NEW   YORK 

E.    P.    DUTTON    AND    COMPANY 

31  AYEST-TWENTY-THIKD  STREET 

1896 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.      OLD  GRIZZLY 7 

II.     STONEWALL   JACKSON'S  WAY 19 

III.  THE   BALLOON   GOES   UP 32 

IV.  THE   BALLOON   COMES   DOWN 49 

V.      A  FIRE-EATING  COLONEL 64 

VL      A  FREE  BREAKFAST 74 

VIL      NO.   XX.   COMPANY  D  OF   THE   'TRAILING  TERRORS' 93 

VIIL      A  PAIR  OF  RELUCTANT  RECRUITS 118 

IX.  HOW      GENERAL       SHIELDS      SENT      A      DESPATCH      TO 

GENERAL  FREMONT 131 

X.      HOW  THAT  DESPATCH  WAS    INTERCEPTED 148 

XI.      LUCIUS   BRINGS   THE   BOAT  ASHORE 158 

XIL      A  DUEL  IN  THE  DARK 175 

XIIL  HOW    THE     DESPATCH    WAS    BROUGHT    TO    STONEWALL 

JACKSON 199 

XIV.      GRIZZLY   IN   THE  TOILS 223 

XV.      ANY  PORT   IN  A  STORM 239 

XVL      OLD  grizzly's   SACRIFICE 257 

XVIL      WHAT  CAME   OF  IT  ALL 277 


541032 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTKATIONS. 


Page 
Down  came  Epluaini's  liHe  to  the  charge  again Frontispiece 

'  Hyar  I  am,'  said  Ephiaini 13 

Ephraiin,  his  feet  twined  among  the  cordage,  slowly  mounted 

towards  the  network 61 

'  Upon  my  word,  you  are  a  nice  young  man,'  said  the  general. ...  1 1 1 

A  candle  was  burning  on  a  table  by  the  window 211 

'Fire,  boys  !     Fire  !' 275 


THE    BLUE    BALLOON. 


CHAPTER    I. 


OLD   GRIZZLY. 

HIRTY-THREE  years  ago,  or,  to  be  quite 
'^  exact,  in  the  month  of  May  1862,  the  great 
civil  war  in  the  United  States  of  America 
was  in  full  swing.  The  Federals  had  dis- 
covered that  their  boast  that  they  would  finish 
the  whole  afiair  in  ninety  days  had  been  an  empty 
one ;  while  the  Confederates,  brave  as  they  were,  and 
fighting  with  all  the  vigour  of  men  goaded  to  fury  by 
the  horrors  of  invasion,  were  learning  by  slow  degrees, 
and  in  the  teeth  of  their  successes,  that  one  Southerner 
could  not  whip  five  Yankees. 

The  short  remnant  of  summer  which  followed  the 
first  battle  of  Bull  Run,  or  Manassas,  as  it  was  named 
in  the  South,  had  come  to  an  end  without  startling- 
incident  ;  the  dreary  winter  had  dragged  itself  to  a 
close,  unmarked  by  aught  but  skirmishes  and  conflicts 
of  minor  importance ;  but  in  the  spring  of  '62  inunense 
armies    took    the    field,   and    campaigns    were    begun, 


8  OLD    GRIZZLY. 

compared  with  which  all  that  had  gone  before  was 
merely  an  insignificant  prelude. 

At  the  first  rumour  that  McClellan,  stirringf  at  last 
from  his  long  and  inglorious  inactivity,  was  about  to 
advance  upon  Richmond,  the  Confederate  General 
Johnston  at  once  evacuated  Manassas,  and  fell  back 
towards  the  threatened  point ;  while  Stonewall  Jackson, 
who  commanded  the  army  of  the  Shenandoah,  moved 
up  the  valley,  so  as  to  keep  communication  open  with 
the  defenders  of  the  capital. 

In  the  valley  lay  the  town  of  Staunton,  the  capital 
of  Augusta  county,  Virginia,  and  the  presumed 
objective  of  one  section  of  the  Federal  advance.  Here, 
when  the.  war  began,  lived  a  youth  named  Ephraim 
Sykes,  more  commonly  known  as  '  Old  Grizzly.'  Not 
that  he  at  all  resembled  that  ferocious  animal  either 
in  person  or  in  disposition,  for  his  manners  were  mild 
and  inoftensive  ;  but  since  his  Christian  name  happened 
to  coincide  with  the  sobriquet  usually  bestowed  upon 
the  grizzly  bear — namely,  '  Ephraim  ' — a  happy  thought 
occurred  one  day  to  a  youthful  wag  of  Staunton. 
So  Ephraim  Sykes  was  promptly  dubbed  *  Old  Grizzly,' 
and  as  such  was  known  ever  afterwards. 

Ephraim  was  between  nineteen  and  twenty  years  of 
age,  but  looked  much  older,  for  he  was  tall  and  lank, 
with  a  thoughtful  face  and  a  sallow  complexion,  while 
an  early  and  luxuriant  crop  of  dark  and  curling  hair 
flourished  upon  his  thin  cheeks  and  square,  resolute 
chin.  It  was  this  chin,  along  with  a  pair  of  clear, 
steady,  gray  eyes,  wdiich  conveyed  to  the  physiogno- 
mist the  impression  that,  shy  and  retiring  as  the  lad 
was,  beneath  his  unassuming  exterior  lurked  the  spirit 
of  a  lion,  united  to  a  will  of  iron. 


OLD    GRIZZLY.  9 

Epliraim  was  a  'hand'  in  one  of  the  large  iron- 
works in  Staunton,  but  he  owned  a  soul  above  his 
humble  calling,  and  his  mechanical  genius  was  little 
short  of  marvellous.  He  was  for  ever  inventing  curious 
toys  and  handy  appliances,  which  he  traded  off  among 
the  Staunton  boys  for  sums  very  far  below  their  actual 
value.  The  money  thus  obtained  he  devoted  partly 
to  the  support  of  an  aged  aunt,  who  had  brought 
him  up  since  the  death  of  his  father  and  mother, 
and  partly  to  the  purchase  of  material  for  the  manu- 
facture of  his  inventions,  or,  as  he  himself  styled 
them,  his  '  notions.'  Education,  in  the  ordinary  sense 
of  the  word,  he  had  never  had,  but  he  had  managed, 
nevertheless,  by  his  own  efforts  and  quiet  persistence, 
to  acquire  an  extraordinary  amount  of  general  and 
useful  information :  a  neatly  made  bookcase,  which 
stood  against  the  wall  of  his  little  room,  held  a  supply 
of  books  on  science,  mathematics,  and  the  mechanical 
arts,  which  seemed  curiously  out  of  place  in  the 
homely  cabin.  But  that  Ephraim  knew  their  use, 
and  profited  by  the  information  he  derived  from 
the  study  of  them,  was  evidenced  by  the  character 
of  the  work  he  turned  out,  and  the  increasing  favour 
in  which  he  was  held  by  Mr  Coulter,  the  master  of 
the  works  in  which  he  was  employed. 

By  the  boys  who  formed  his  chief  customers  Grizzly 
was  popularly  supposed  to  be  very  rich,  and  the  one 
fault  they  had  to  find  with  him  was  that  he  hoarded 
his  gains  in  a  miserly  fashion,  spending  not  a  cent 
more  than  was  absolutely  necessary  to  provide  him- 
self and  his  aunt  with  the  simple  necessaries  of  life. 
Here,  however,  they  misjudged  Ephraim,  for  though  it 
was  true  that  he  scraped  and  pinched  and  denied  him- 


10  OLD    GRIZZLY. 

self  to  put  aside  some  small  proportion  of  his  not  very 
extensive  means,  yet  there  was  a  purpose  in  what  he 
did,  and  his  motives  were  very  different  from  those 
which  the  boys  in  their  thoughtless  way  ascribed  to 
hiui. 

The  fact  was  that  poor  Ephraim's  soul  was  fired 
with  one  strong  and  overmastering  ambition.  He 
longed  to  rise  in  the  world.  He  dimly  recognised  his 
own  powers,  and  felt  within  himself  a  capacity  for 
progress  which  he  could  not  but  see  was  denied  to  the 
bulk  of  his  fellow-workers.  His  shrewdness  early 
taught  him  the  value  of  money  as  a  means  to  this  end, 
and  while  others  spent  and  squandered,  he  added 
dollar  after  dollar  to  his  little  hoard,  and  watched  with 
keen  satisfaction  the  slowly  accumulating  pile. 

He  was  known  to  almost  everybody  in  Staunton — 
there  being  few  homes  which  did  not  possess  some 
proof  of  his  skill  in  handicraft — and  he  was  a  general 
favourite  on  account  of  his  unfailing  good-nature. 
For  though  careful,  or  mean  as  some  called  it,  with 
his  money,  he  was  always  willing  to  give  the  work  of 
his  hands,  and  many  were  the  small  boys  whose  happi- 
ness had  been  rendered  unbounded  by  the  acquisition 
of  some' precious  plaything,  for  which  they  could  not 
afford  to  pay,  but  which  Ephraim  had  not  the  heart 
to  deny  them. 

Still,  though  many  sought  his  acquaintance,  Grizzly 
allowed  himself  the  luxury  of  but  one  friend,  the  only 
boy,  perhaps,  in  all  Staunton  who  thoroughly  under- 
stood and  properly  appreciated  him,  Lucius  Markham. 
And  him  Ephraim  simply  worshipped.  The  contrast 
between  the  two  was  almost  absurd,  for  Lucius  was 
what   is   called   a  gentleman,   and  with  his  fair  hair. 


OLD    GRIZZLY, 


11 


blue  eyes,  and  aristocratic  bearing,  stood  out  in  curious 
relief  beside  the  rough  working-lad  whom  he  had 
selected  for  his  crony.  Yet  the  two  were  insepar- 
able, and  Lucius,  who  was  three  years  younger  than 
Ephraim,  and  high-spirited  and  self-willed,  would 
listen  to  no  remonstrances  on  the  part  of  his  parents, 
who  looked  askance  upon  this  ill-assorted  companion- 
ship, but  spent  as  much  of  his  spare  time  as  he  possibly 
could  by  Ephraim's  side,  often  in  the  latter's  little 
workshop,  where  he  watched  admiringly  the  processes 
which  neither  could  his  head  understand  nor  his 
hands  execute. 

As  for  Ephraim,  Lucius  was  his  hero,  and  he  adored 
him  with  a  dog-like  affection,  which  the  other,  though 
he  certainly  returned  it,  yet  received  with  a  lofty  air 
of  patronage,  as  became  the  son  and  heir  of  so  im- 
portant a  personage  as  Mr  Markham  of  Markham  Hall. 

"When  the  war  broke  out,  the  enthusiasm  of  the  two 
lads  knew  no  bounds.  The  Staunton  artillery,  in 
which  Mr  Markham  held  a  commission,  had  been 
almost  the  first  to  take  the  field,  and  had  played  an 
important  part  in  the  capture  of  Harper's  Ferry  and 
the  arsenal.  Lucius  had  therefore  a  personal  interest 
in  the  war  from  the  very  beginning,  and  great  indeed 
was  his  delight  when  he  was  allowed  to  pay  a  visit  to 
his  father  at  the  camp  at  Harper's  Ferry,  where  the 
impetuous  young  Southerners  were  receiving  their  first 
lessons  in  the  art  of  real  war  from  generals  and 
captains  who  were  afterwards  destined  to  write  their 
names  large  upon  the  scroll  of  Fame. 

On  his  return  to  Staunton,  Lucius  flew  to  the  house 
of  his  friend,  burning  to  impart  his  new  experiences. 

'  Hello,  Aunty  Chris  !'  he  shouted,  bursting  into  the 


12  OLD    GRIZZLY. 

little  cabin  where  the  old  woman  sat  darning  Ephraim's 
socks.     '  Where  's  Grizzly  ?' 

'Hyar  I  am,'  said  Ephraim,  coming  out  o£  his  den 
with  a  jack-plane  in  one  hand  and  a  piece  of  walnut 
wood  in  the  other.  'How  3'^e  comin'  along,  Luce?' 
he  added,  his  eyes  beaming  affectionately  upon  his 
friend. 

'Oh!'  cried  Lucius,  not  troubling  to  return  the 
salute,  '  I  tell  you  I  've  had  such  a  time  at  the  Ferry. 
They  are  all  there — father,  and  General  Harper,  and 
General  Harman,  and  Captain  Imboden,  and  all  the 
rest  of  them ;  and  Major  Jackson  of  the  Military 
Institute  way  down  in  Lexington  has  been  made  a 
colonel  and  put  in  comir.and  over  the  whole  lot  of 
them.  They  didn't  like  it  at  first,  but  they've  got 
used  to  it  now,  and  my  !  don't  he  just  make  them 
work.  They  were  having  a  picnic  before  he  came, 
but  I  guess  he  didn't  help  to  whip  the  Mexicans  for 
nothing.' 

'Do  tell,'  remarked  Ephraim. 

'  I  should  say  so,'  went  on  Lucius.  '  He 's  a  stark 
fighter,  he  is,  and  he  keeps  them  down  to  it.  They  're 
drilling  and  marchinof,  and  marchino^  and  drillino:,  all 
day  long ;  and  at  night  they  have  camp-fires,  and 
sentries,  and  everything.  You  never  saw  such  a  show. 
And  oh !  Grizzly,  what  do  you  think  ?  Captain 
Imboden  let  me  fire  off  a  cannon.' 

'  Ye  don't  say  so !'  exclaimed  Ephraim,  his  sallow 
face  lighting  up.     '  How  many  Yanks  did  ye  shoot  ?' 

Lucius  burst  out  laughing.  '  Why,  it  wasn't  loaded, 
stupid,'  he  said,  '  except  with  blank  cartridge.  But 
I  touched  her  off,  and  she  made  an  awful  good 
row.' 


'  Hyar  I  am,'  said  Ephiaim, 


OLD    GRIZZLY.  15 

'  I  reckon,'  said  Ephraim  simply,  adding  with  some 
anxiety  in  his  voice  :  '  Then  ye  warn't  in  no  battle, 
Luce  V 

'  Battle  !  No,'  answered  Lucius.  '  There  hasn't  been 
one  so  far,  and  I  imagine  they  wouldn't  have  had  me 
around  while  it  was  going  on.  There 's  sure  to  be  one 
soon,  though ;  so  they  all  say.  Don't  I  wish  we  could 
be  there  to  see  it.  There  '11  only  be  one,  you  know,' 
he  added  confidently.  *  We  shall  whip  the  Yanks,  and 
then  everybody  will  come  home  again.' 

'  Thet  's  so,'  remarked  Ephraim  sententiously,  '  'cept- 
in'  them  as  is  killed,  of  co'se.'  He  fell  to  considering 
the  piece  of  wood  which  he  held  in  his  hand. 

'  What  are  you  making  there  ?'  demanded  Lucius. 

'  A  gun-stock.     I  got  a  bar'l  in  thar.' 

*  I  '11  come  and  watch  you,'  said  Lucius, '  and  then  I 
can  tell  you  all  about  the  camp.' 

He  followed  Ephraim  into  his  workshop  and  sat 
down  upon  the  edge  of  a  small  tub,  in  which  were  set 
two  huge  glass  jars,  partly  filled  with  fluid. 

'Don't  ye  set  down  thar,'  cried  Ephraim,  pushing 
him  off!  'Jerushy!  A  little  more  and  ye'd  have 
been  through  the  roof.' 

'Why,  what's  in  them?'  inquired  Lucius,  looking 
rather  scared,  as  he  shifted  his  seat  to  the  dusty  bench 
at  which  Ephraim  worked. 

'They're  chemicals — different  sorts,  ye  know,'  ex- 
plained Grizzly.  '  Just 's  long  as  they  're  by  them- 
selves they  're  all  right,  ye  onderstand ;  but  wanst 
they  come  together  there 's  the  all-firedest  kick-up 
ye  ever  see.' 

'  What  a  fellow  you  are  ! '  said  Lucius,  glancing  round 
the   room  with  its  mixture  of  tools,  cog-wheels,  small 


16  OLD   GRIZZLY, 

engine  bars,  glass  retorts,  and  what  not.  '  You  '11  blow 
your  own  head  off  some  of  these  fine  days.' 

'I  nearly  done  it  last  Toosday,'  grinned  Ephraim 
genially ;  '  and  old  Aunty  Chris  war  thet  skeert,  she 
run  down  the  street  hollerin'  thieves  and  murder.'  He 
laughed  quietly  at  the  recollection. 

'That's  all  very  well,'  said  Lucius;  'but  3'ou 
shouldn't  leave  them  so  close  to  one  another  if  they 
are  so  dangerous  as  you  say  they  are.' 

'Thet's  so,'  acquiesced  Ephraim,  removing  one  of 
the  jars  to  a  corner  of  the  room.  '  It  don't  matter  a 
cob  of  corn  what  goes  wrong  with  me,  but  I  'low  I  'd 
never  forgive  myself  if  harm  came  to  you.' 

'  How's  the  pile,  Grizzly  ?'  asked  Lucius  irrelevantly. 

'  It 's  growing,  sonny  ;  it 's  growing.  It  ain't  the 
wuth  of  a  gold  mine  yet ;  but  it 's  coming  along. 
War  ye  wanting  a  trifle,  maybe  V 

'  Who,  me  ?'  answered  Lucius  loftily.  '  I  should 
say  not.  I  've  got  plenty.'  He  rattled  the  money  in 
his  pocket  as  he  spoke.  '  But  I  say,  Grizzly,  when  do 
j'-ou  think  it  will  be  big  enough  to  let  you  go  to 
college  ?' 

Ephraim's  eyes  glistened.  'Maybe  two  years,' 
he  replied;  'that  is,  ef  trade  keeps  steady.  It 
seems  a  long  time,  don't  it?  But  it's  a  little  while 
when  ye  reckon  I  've  worked  and  waited  five  years 
for 't  already.' 

Lucius  looked  at  him  admiringly.  '  You  '11  do  big 
things  yet,  if  only  you  get  the  chance,  Grizzly,'  he 
said.  '  And  if  you  weren't  so  mighty  proud,  you  could 
have  had  the  chance  long  ago.  Father  would  give  me 
the  money  for  you,  if  you  'd  let  me  ask  him.  ,  I  know 
he  would.' 


OLD   GRIZZLY.  17 

'  No,  Luce/  returned  Ephraim,  laying  a  hairy  paw 
affectionately  on  his  friend's  shoulder.  '  I  know  ye  'd 
do  it  and  willin',  jest  ez  I  'd  give  you  the  best  I  had ; 
but  I  med  up  my  mind  long  ago  thet  ef  I  couldn't 
work  it  out  myself  I  wouldn't  be  wuth  no  one's  work- 
in'  it  out  for  me,  and  thet's  the  fact.  It'll  come  in 
time,  I  know  thet.  And  besides  I  'm  used  to  waitin'.' 
He  sighed,  though,  as  he  said  it. 

'It  does  seem  a  shame,'  burst  out  Lucius,  'that  a 
great  empty-headed  noodle  like  me  should  have  more 
money  than  he  knows  what  to  do  with,  while  a  clever, 
enterprising  fellow  like  you,  with  a  brain  full  of 
notions,  should  be  kept  back  because  you  haven't  got 
any.     I ' 

'  Oh,  shet  yer  head,  Luce,'  interrupted  Ephraim  good- 
humouredly.  '  Ef  I  war  all  ye  make  me  out  ter  be, 
I  'd  hev  been  thar  long  ago,  dollars  or  no  dollars. 
Maybe  it 's  best  as  it  is,'  he  concluded ;  '  for  ef  I  war 
ready  ter  go  now,  I  reckon  this  old  war  would  come 
in  the  way  of  it.' 

'  Pooh  !  the  war,'  ejaculated  Lucius  contemptuously. 
'  I  tell  you  there  's  going  to  be  no  war.  Father  says 
there'll  be  a  battle  likely — just  one,  and  that  will 
settle  the  Yankees  and  their  bounce  for  good  and  all.' 

'  Maybe,'  nodded  Ephraim.     '  We  're  going  ter  see.' 

'  Well,  if  there  is  a  war,'  proclaimed  Lucius,  '  I  am 
going  to  join  in.     So  there.' 

'You!'  exclaimed  Ephraim  in  unaifected  astonish- 
ment. 'Whj^,  Luce,  they  wouldn't  have  ye.  Ye 're 
too  young.' 

'What  of  that?'  retorted   Lucius,  flushing.     'I  am 

sixteen.      I    can   carry    a   gun.     What  more  do  they 

want  ? ' 

B 


18  OLD    GRIZZLV. 

'  A  heap,  I  reckon,'  said  Ephraim,  ej'eing  him  along 
the  gim-stock  he  was  planing.  '  But  no  matter  for 
that,  Luce.     Yer  par  would  never  let  ye  go.' 

'  Maybe  then  I  'd  go  without  asking  him,'  muttered 
Lucius  rebel liously. 

Ephraim  laid  down  the  gun-stock  and  approached 
him.  '  See  hyar.  Luce,'  he  said  anxiously,  '  ye  ain't 
got  no  idees  in  yer  head,  hev  ye  ?' 

Lucius  burst  out  laughing.  '  Well,  you  have  a  way 
of  putting  things,'  he  cried.  '  I  believe  I  have  just 
one,  and  that  is,  I  am  going  to  be  a  soldier.' 

Ephraim  considered  a  moment.  '  Waal,'  he  said  at 
last,  '  ef  thet  's  so,  I  believe  I  '11  hev  to  volunteer  ter 
look  after  ye.' 

Lucius  roared  afresh  at  this.  '  A  pretty  soldier  you 
would  make,  Grizzly,'  he  shouted.  '  I  fancy  I  see  j^ou 
ambling  along  with  a  gun  over  your  shoulder.  Why, 
I  believe  you  'd  be  scared  to  death  the  moment  you  let 
it  off.' 

'  Maybe  I  would,'  admitted  Ephraim  candidly.  '  I 
'low  I  han't  been  used  to  shootin'.  But  anyway, 
Luce,  whar  ye  kin  lead,  I  reckon  I  '11  do  my  best  ter 
foUer.' 


%/*^ 


CHAPTER    II. 


STONEWALL   JACKSON  S   WAY. 

HE  months  rolled  on,  the  battle  of  Manassas 
had  been  fought  and  won,  and  the  Federals, 
driven  back  upon  Washington  in  hopeless 
rout,  with  the  immediate  result  that  thousands 
of  volunteers  left  the  Confederate  service  and  returned 
to  their  homes  and  their  ordinary  vocations,  thinking 
that  an  enemy  so  easily  whipped  could  be  as  easily 
finished  off  without  their  further  help.  Many  officers, 
too,  who  had  hastened  to  the  front  at  the  first  call 
of  the  trumpet,  leaving  their  plantations  or  their 
businesses  to  look  after  themselves,  gladly  took  advan- 
tage of  the  temporarj^  lull  to  snatch  a  short  furlough. 
Among  these  latter  was  Major  Markham,  who  since 
the  first  sudden  rush  upon  Harper's  Feny  in  April 
had  never  once  left  the  field.  Now,  however,  a  wound 
received  at  Bull  Run  incapacitating  him  from  further 
service  for  the  present,  he  i-ejoined  his  wife  and  son  at 
Markham  Hall. 

The  picturesque  descriptions  which  his  father  gave 
him  of  the  leading  features  of  the  battle,  along  with 
many  incidents  of  personal  adventure  and  heroism,  so 
fired   Lucius's  already  ardent  spirit,   that    from    that 


20  STONEWALL   JACKSON's    WAY. 

time  onwards  he  lived  in  imagination  the  life  of  a 
soldier.  He  begged,  he  prayed,  he  implored,  he  even 
went  on  his  knees  to  his  father  to  allow  him  to  join 
the  army  as  a  drummer-boy,  as  a  bugler,  as  a  mule- 
driver,  as  anything  at  all,  in  any  capacity  whatsoever. 
Major  Markham  laughed  at  his  son  at  first,  but  when 
he  realised  how  absolutely  in  earnest  Lucius  was,  he 
bade  him,  with  what  show  of  sternness  he  could 
muster — for  he  could  not  but  admire  the  boy's  high 
spirit — never  to  mention  the  subject  again. 

Thwarted  at  home,  Lucius  sought  consolation  from 
his  friend  Ephraim,  and  so  worked  upon  his  slower 
nature  with  tales  of  deeds  of  daring,  drawn  almost 
entirely  from  his  own  perfervid  imagination,  that  even 
Grizzly  w^as  stirred  to  enthusiasm,  and  flourished  his 
long  arms  over  his  head  as  he  declared  his  intention 
of  annihilatino-  whole  refjiments  of  Yankees  at  one  fell 
blow,  by  means  of  some  devastating  compound,  the 
first  idea  of  which  was  germinating  in  his  fertile  brain. 

At  the  same  time,  Ephraim's  common  sense  stood 
both  him  and  Lucius  in  good  stead,  and  held  the 
younger  boy  back  more  eflectually  than  the  commands 
of  his  father  or  the  pleadings  of  his  mother.  But 
when  Major  Markham  rejoined  his  regiment  in  Decem- 
ber, to  take  part  in  the  terrible  expedition  to  Romney, 
Lucius  could  bear  the  restraint  no  longer,  and  one  cold, 
snowy  night  he  astonished  Ephraim  by  suddenly 
appearing  and  boldly  proposing  that  they  should  run 
away  together. 

'  Whar  ye  gwine  ter  run  ter?'  inquii'ed  common- 
sense  Ephraim,  looking  up  from  the  calculations  on 
which  he  was  engaged. 

'How    do    I    know?'    flashed    Lucius    the    fervid. 


STONEWALL    JACKSON's    WAY.  21 

'  We  11  just  go  on  until  we  come  to  one  of  our  armies. 
They  '11  be  mighty  glad  to  let  us  join.' 

'  A  stark  lighter  sech  ez  ye  would  be  ! '  said  Ephraim 
with  beaming  admiration,  and  without  the  least  trace 
of  irony. 

'  Yes/  assented  Lucius  complacently  ;  *  they  '11  not 
refuse  two  such  strong  and  active  lads  as  you  and  ' 

'  Sho !'  interrupted  Ephraim.  '  Don't  ye  count  on 
me.     I  warn  ye.' 

'  What !'  exclaimed  Lucius,  in  a  voice  of  mingled 
surprise  and  grief.  '  Do  you  mean  to  say  that,  after 
all  I  have  told  you,  you  will  let  me  go  alone  ?' 

'  I  ain't  gwine  ter  let  ye  go  at  all,  Luce,'  returned 
Ephraim,  placing  a  long,  hairy  arm  affectionately  round 
the  boy's  neck.  '  See  hyar,  now,'  he  went  on,  as  Lucius 
shook  himself  angrily  free,  •  thar  ain't  nuthin'  ter  call 
fightin'  goin'  on  jest  now.  Nothin'  but  marchin'  round 
and  round,  and  up  and  down  in  the  snow  and  the 
slush.     Now,  thar  ain't  no  fun  in  thet,  I  reckon.' 

'  Well,  no,'  admitted  Lucius  reluctantly.  He  thought 
for  a  moment  or  two,  and  then  burst  out :  '  Look  here. 
Grizzly,  the  real  fighting  is  sure  to  begin  again  in 
spring.  If  I  promise  to  wait,  will  you  promise  to 
come  with  me  then  ?' 

'I  'low  we'll  wait  till  spring  comes  along,'  answered 
Ephraim  oracularly.  '  Ef  ye  're  ez  sot  upon  it  then  ez 
ye  air  now,  I  '11  see  what  1  kin  do.' 

'That's  a  bargain,  then,'  said  Lucius.  'I  just  long 
to  see  a  real  good  battle.  Mind,  if  you  go  back  on  me 
now,  I'll  call  you  a  coward  and  start  without  you.' 

'I  ain't  any  coward,'  answered  Ephraim  quietly, 
though  his  pale  face  flushed  slightly ;  '  leastways  ez 
fur   ez  goin'  along   with   ye  is    consarned.     Ye    don't 


22  STONEWALL    JACKSON's    WAY. 

imagine  I'd  go  fer  ter  lose  sight  of  yu,  Luce?'  he 
liuished,  with  a  catch  in  his  voice. 

'Oh  no,'  said  Lucius,  mollified.  'Only  I  thought 
that  maybe  you  couldn't  understand  my  feelings. 
You  're  a  dear  old  thing,  Grizzly ;  but  you  're  a  rough 
bit  of  stick,  you  know,  and  you  haven't  so  much  at 
stake  as  people  like  us,'  And  the  young  aristocrat 
drew  himself  proudly  up. 

'  Thet  's  a  fact,'  nodded  Ephraim ;  '  though  I  ain't 
heard  ez  the  fust  families  hez  been  doin'  all  the 
fightin'.'  There  was  a  subdued  grin  on  his  face  as  he 
spoke. 

'Of  course  not,'  said  Lucius  hastily.  'Our  fellows 
are  stark  fighters  all  round;  but  it's  men  like  my 
father  and  Jackson  and  the  rest  who  lead  the  way. 
You  know  that  well  enough.' 

Ephraim  stretched  out  his  brown  hairy  paw  and 
drew  Lucius  towards  him.  '  I  only  know  I  'd  die  fer 
ye  glad  and  willin'  ef  ye  war  ahead,  Luce,'  he  said 
tenderly. 

'  Shucks  !'  exclaimed  Lucius  impatiently  ;  '  who  said 
anything  about  dying  ?  Now  it 's  all  settled,  and 
you'll  come.' 

'  I  '11  be  on  time,'  said  Ephraim.  He  was  silent  for 
a  moment,  during  which  he  thought  deeply.  Finally 
he  said,  '  Ye  air  jest  sot  ter  see  a  battle,  ain't  ye. 
Luce  ?' 

'Yes,'  answered  Lucius,     'Didn't  I  tell  you  so  ?' 

'  Waal,'  resumed  Ephraim,  '  wouldn't  ye  be  content 
jest  ter  see  wan,  without  arskin'  ter  take  a  hand  in 
the  fightin'  ?' 

'Whatever  do  you  mean  by  that  ?' queried  Lucius. 
*  I  don't  understand  you.' 


STONEWALL   JACKSON'S   WAY.  23 

'  Waal,  it  don't  matter/  said  Ephraim,  'fer  I  reckon 
I  han't  got  no  very  el'ar  idee  of  what  I  mean  myself 
ez  yet.  Anyway  thar  's  heaps  of  time.  We  're  on'y 
beginnin'  December  now,  and  thar '11  be  nuthin'  this 
long  while.  Ef  ye  're  still  sot  in  spring,  why,  we  '11 
see.' 

'See  what  ?' demanded  Lucius  impatiently.  'Can't 
you  explain  ?' 

But  Ephraim  either  could  not  or  would  not,  and 
presently  Lucius  took  his  departure  in  high  dudgeon. 

Ephraim  sat  thinking  to  himself  for  a  long  while, 
and  finally  he  took  down  a  volume  from  his  shelves 
and  buried  himself  in  it,  until  the  voice  of  the  old 
woman  in  the  next  room  disturbed  him  by  querulously 
demanding  '  Ef  he  warn't  never  goin'  to  bed.' 

'  I  b'lieve  I  could  do  it,'  he  thought  to  himself  as  he 

undressed;  '  but ' He  pulled  a  trunk  from  under  his 

bed,  and  unlocking  it,  drew  out  a  small  cash-box.  This 
in  turn  he  opened  and  studied  the  little  pile  of  dollars 
it  contained  with  an  anxious  face. 

'  Thet  's  the  only  way  ter  do  it,'  he  muttered,  passing 
the  coins  backwards  and  forwards  through  his  fingers. 
'  Thar 's  not  much  more  than  enough  thar,  if  thar  is 
enough.  Imagine !  Only  that  little  lot  in  five  long 
years.  Seems  a  pity,  jest  fer  a  whim.  But  it 's  fer 
Luce.  It 's  ter  pleasure  Luce.  He  's  that  sot  on  it, 
and  he  nat'ally  looks  ter  me.  No  matter,  I  guess  I'll 
work  it  up  again.' 

He  stood  looking  into  the  box  with  eyes  that  did 
not  see,  for  he  was  far  away  in  spirit  in  the  little 
Massachusetts  town,  where  stood  the  famous  college 
he  so  ardently  desired  to  enter. 

Splash  !     A  great  tear  fell  into  the  box  of  dollars. 


24  STONEWALL   JACKSON'S    WAY. 

'  What  ye  cloin'  ?'  Ephraim  apostrophised  himself 
with  great  vehemence.  '  Ain't  it  f er  Luce  ?  Ain't  he 
wuth  it  ?  Ef  ye  can't  do  a  little  thing  like  that  fer 
yer  friend,  it 's  time  ye ' 

He  broke  off  suddenly,  snapped  the  lid  of  the  box, 
and  threw  it  back  into  the  trunk. 

'  Ef  ye  can't  do  a  little  thing  like  that  without 
makin'  a  fuss  about  it,'  he  repeated,  '  it 's  time  ye — 
it 's  time  ye ' 

He  choked  over  the  words,  a  rain  of  tears  gushed 
from  his  eyes,  and  with  a  low  cry  he  flung  himself 
sobbing  upon  his  bed. 

The  year  came  to  an  end,  and  plague  and  worry 
him  as  he  would,  Lucius  could  extract  nothing  from 
Ephraim  to  throw  light  on  the  mysterious  remark. 
Indeed  Grizzly  was  now  seldom  or  never  to  be  found 
in  his  workshop ;  nor  could  Aunty  Chris  explain  his 
absence,  or  disclose  his  whereabouts,  for,  as  she  frankly 
confessed,  she  knew  nothing  whatever  about  him. 
Lucius,  of  course,  whenever  he  could  waylay  him, 
questioned  and  cross-questioned  him  as  to  what  he 
was  engaged  upon  in  his  spare  time  and  where ;  but 
Grizzly  invariably  replied  with  a  wag  of  his  head : 
'Ye '11  git  thar  in  time.  Luce.  On'y  ye '11  hev  ter  hang 
on  till  the  time  comes.'  With  which  Delphic  utterance 
Lucius  was  obliged  to  be  content. 

Meantime  the  war  was  not  standing  still.  Manassas 
had,  after  all,  not  crumpled  up  the  North,  and  early  in 
'62  the  people  of  the  valley  were  rudely  awakened  to 
the  fact  by  the  appearance  among  them  of  no  less  than 
three  Federal  generals,  with  an  aggregate  force  of 
sixty-four  thousand  men.  And  to  these  Stonewall 
Jackson   could    oppose   but   thirteen   thousand !     But 


STONEWALL   JACKSON's   WAY.  25 

though  the  excitement  was  great,  there  was  little 
anxiety  ;  for  the  reputation  which  Jackson  and  his 
brigade  had  won  at  Manassas,  and  their  stern  and 
soldierly  endurance  of  the  terrible  hardships  of  the 
severe  winter  just  ended,  inspired  a  confidence  in  their 
prowess,  which  would  scarcely  have  been  shaken  had 
all  the  armies  of  the  North  been  combined  against 
them. 

What  were  men's  feelings  then,  when  the  astounding 
news  spread  like  wildfire  from  town  to  town  : '  Jackson 
has  deserted  us  in  our  extremity.  He  has  fled  through 
the  gaps  to  the  east  side  of  the  Blue  Ridge  !' 

The  report  w^as  not  unfounded.  It  certainly  was 
true  that  Jackson  had  disappeared  from  the  valley. 
Only  Colonel  Ashby,  the  famous  cavalry  leader,  re- 
mained behind  with  a  thousand  sabres  at  his  back. 

Men  laughed  bitterly.  What  was  this  little  force  to 
do  for  their  protection  against  an  army  so  gigantic  ? 
But  Ashby  with  scattered  troops  was  here,  there,  and 
everywhere.  Now  at  McDowell,  now  at  Strasburg, 
now  at  Franklin,  yesterday  at  Front  Royal,  to-morrow 
at  Luray.  But  what  he  learned  in  his  reconnaissances, 
and  where  he  sent  the  information  which  he  acquired, 
no  man  knew,  no  man  had  the  heart  to  ask.  In 
Staunton  itself  the  wildest  confusion  reigned ;  for  no 
sooner  had  the  news  of  Jackson's  flight  been  conveyed 
to  the  Federal  generals,  than  they  set  their  masses  in 
motion,  and  began  to  advance  alona;  convero^infj  lines 
upon  the  little  town.  That  it  was  to  be  occupied  was 
regarded  as  certain,  and  in  the  universal  terror  much 
that  was  valuable  in  the  way  of  military  stores  was 
removed  or  destroyed  ;  while  General  Johnson  with 
six  regiments  retired  from  his  strong  position  on  the 


26  STONEWALL    JACKSONS    WAY. 

Shenandoah  Mountain,  intent  only  on  saving  his  small 
force  by  effecting  a  junction  with  the  vanished  Jackson 
wherever  he  might  find  him. 

Then  came  the  day  when  Staunton,  abandoned  and 
defenceless,  lay  sullenly  awaiting  its  fate,  with  Milroy 
and  twelve  thousand  Federals  not  two-and-twenty 
miles  away,  and  Fremont  coming  on  with  thirty 
thousand  more. 

It  was  a  Sunday,  and  the  churches  were  full  of 
devout  worshippers,  praying  doubtless  that  the  chas- 
tening rod  held  over  them  might  be  averted  in  its 
descent.  Suddenly  a  strange  and  terrible  sound  arose 
— a  noise  of  trampling  thousands,  the  clink  of  steel 
against  steel  as  scabbard  and  stirrup  jangled  together, 
the  clatter  of  squadrons  upon  the  road,  the  hoarse 
rumble  and  grumble  of  artillery  wagons.  People 
looked  at  one  another  in  dismay.  Despite  their 
supplications  the  blow  had  fallen :  they  were  in  the 
hands  of  the  enemy. 

Slowly,  with  mournful  hearts  and  dejected  mien, 
they  tiled  out  of  church,  their  downcast  eyes  refusing 
to  look  at  the  bitter  sight.  Then,  as  one  head  after 
another  was  lifted,  exclamations  of  deep  surprise  broke 
forth  here  and  there. 

Where  were  the  stars  and  stripes  ?  Where  was  the 
blue  of  the  detested  Federals  ?  The  marching  columns 
were  gray  !  The  stars  and  bars  waved  proudly  in  the 
breeze,  and  here  and  there  in  the  midst  of  a  regiment 
the  lone  star  shone  upon  flag  and  pennon. 

What  a  shout  of  joy  went  up  from  the  multitude : 
'  Confederates  !  Confederates  !  They  are  our  own  boys 
back  again !  Old  Stonewall  is  here !  Thank  God ! 
Hurrah  !     Hurrah  !' 


STONEWALL   JACKSON's    WAY.  27 

The  excitement  was  tremendous.  Nerves  were 
strung  to  highest  tension ;  emotions  touched  the 
breaking  point.  Men  leaped  and  danced  for  very  joy. 
Women  flung  themselves  into  each  other's  arms  and 
wept  for  sheer  happiness.  And  through  it  all  the 
gray  hosts  rolled  steadily  on. 

Then,  as  suddenly  as  it  had  arisen,  the  hubbub 
subsided.  Apprehension  reigned  once  more,  and  the 
eager  questions  passed  from  lip  to  lip :  '  What  are 
they  doing  here  ?  Have  they  been  routed  ?  Arc  they 
only  in  retreat  V 

No,  the  soldiers  answered,  they  M'ere  not  running 
away.  They  had  not  seen  or  heard  of  the  enemy 
for  days.  What  were  they  doing  here,  then  ?  Again 
they  did  not  know.  Nobody  knew  except  old  Stone- 
wall. He  knew  of  course.  It  was  one  of  his  tricks. 
He  had  ffot  somethino-  under  his  hat. 

Then  the  crowd  surged  to  the  railway  station  to 
watch  the  debarking  troops  as  train  after  train  rolled 
in.  Here  the  same  ignorance  prevailed.  Nobody 
knew ;  nobody  could  understand.  To  their  personal 
friends  the  officers  were  dumb,  for  they  were  in  dark- 
ness like  the  men.  Only  the  General  knew ;  and 
those  who  knew  the  General  knew  also  how  hopeless 
it  would  be  to  question  him. 

The  dwellers  in  the  country,  who  had  come  into 
town  for  church,  hastened  away,  full  of  their  news, 
to  tell  the  folk  who  had  been  left  at  home.  They 
did  not  get  far.  All  around  the  town  a  strong  cordon 
of  soldiers  had  been  drawn  who  forced  them  back. 
What !  they  asked,  might  they  not  even  return  to  their 
own  homes  ?  No,  they  might  not — at  least,  not  yet. 
Why  ?      Nobody    knew.      Simply    the    General    had 


28  STONEWALL   JACKSON's    WAY. 

ordered  it  so.  Probably  he  did  not  wish  the  news 
of  his  arrival  to  be  spread  abroad.  But  to  everything, 
the  one  monotonous,  exasperating  answer,  '  We  do  not 
know.' 

Then  at  last  the  people  understood.  Silent  as  ever 
as  to  his  plans,  mysterious  in  his  movements,  Jackson's 
flio-ht  had  been  but  a  clever  feint.  He  had  stolen 
back  swiftly  and  without  attracting  attention ;  and 
now,  while  the  Federals  fondly  supposed  him  east  of 
the  Blue  Ridge,  here  he  was,  ready  and  able  to  deal 
them  one  of  his  slashing  flank  blows.  It  was  '  Stone- 
wall Jackson's  way.' 

As  soon  as  the  soldiers  began  to  arrive,  Lucius  and 
Ephraim,  who  both  sang  in  the  choir  of  their  church, 
hurried  out  and  raced  to  the  station.  Long  before 
they  got  there  Lucius  had  shouted  himself  hoarse, 
while,  though  he  took  things  more  quietly,  Ephraim's 
cheeks  were  burning,  and  his  eyes  blazing  with 
unwonted  fire. 

'  Say,  Grizzly,  isn't  it  splendid  ?'  panted  Lucius. 

Ephraim  did  not  answer,  for  just  then  a  roar  of 
delight  rent  the  air.  '  Here  he  comes !  Here 's  the 
General  !  Hurrah  !  Stonewall  Jackson  !  Stonewall ! 
Cheer,  boys !  Hurrah !  God  bless  you.  General ! 
Hurrah  !     Hurrah  !' 

Clad  in  his  old  gray  coat,  soiled  and  smirched 
with  the  stains  of  the  dreadful  march  to  Romney  in 
December,  and  with  his  queer  slouched  hat  cocked 
askew  over  his  forehead,  '  Old  Stonewall,'  then  but 
thirty-eight  years  of  age,  rode  in  the  midst  of  his 
staff  His  shrewd,  kindly  face  wore  a  smile  of  almost 
womanly  sweetness,  and  his  keen  blue  eyes,  which,  it 
is  said,  glowed  when  the  battle  rage  was  upon  him 


STONEWALL   JACKSON'S    WAY.  29 

with  a  terrible  light  that  appalled  both  friend  and 
foe,  now  beamed  mildly  on  the  shouting  crowd  who 
sought  to  do  him  honour.  He  bowed  continually 
right  and  left,  and  was  evidently  pleased  at  his 
welcome,  as  well  as  touched  by  the  supreme  con- 
fidence of  the  people  in  him. 

So  frantic  was  Lucius  in  his  demonstrations  that  at 
last  he  attracted  the  notice  of  the  General,  who  after 
reo-arding  him  good-naturedly  for  a  moment,  broke 
into  an  amused  laugh,  saying,  as  he  nodded  pleasantly  : 
'  Thank  you,  my  lad,  for  your  welcome.  It  does  one's 
heart  good  to  see  such  a  face  as  yours.'  For  a  moment 
Lucius  could  not  believe  his  ears.  Then,  as  he  realised 
that  the  General  had  indeed  spoken  to  hion,  his  face 
crimsoned  with  delight,  and  forgetting  everything  in 
his  exaltation,  he  rushed  into  the  road  and  clung  to 
Jackson's  stirrup  leather,  as  though  to  detain  him  by 
main  force. 

'Take  me  with  you.  General!'  he  cried  at  the  top 
of  his  voice.  'Take  me  with  you.  I  want  to  fight, 
and  they  won't  let  me.' 

'Hurrah!'  shouted  the  crowd,  moved  by  this  novel 
sensation,  while  Ephraim,  glowing  with  pride,  craned 
his  long  neck  to  see  his  hero,  as  he  fully  expected, 
caught  up  in  front  of  the  General  and  borne  away 
to  the  wars. 

'By  time!'  he  muttered,  'ain't  he  jest  cl'ar  grit? 
Ain't  he  noble  ?  And  he 's  my  friend.'  Great  tears 
rose  in  his  honest  eyes  and  blurred  his  sight  as  the 
General  reined  in  his  charger  and  bent  over  to 
Lucius. 

'Take  you  with  me,  my  boy?'  said  Jackson  kindly, 
laying  his  hand  upon  the  fair,  curly  head  as  he  spoke. 


30  STONEWALL    JACKSON's    WAY. 

'  Take  you  with  me  ?  God  forbid !  We  don't  want 
children  amid  such  scenes  as  we  are  forced  to  go 
through.' 

'  Why  not  V  gasped  Lucius.  '  I  'm  sixteen;  I  'd  make 
one  more  anyway.  I  don't  mind  being  shot  any  more 
than  the  next  man.' 

'  Gloryful  gracious!'  murmured  Ephraim,  his  eyes 
fairly  brimming  over ;  while  Jackson,  bending  lower 
still,  said  somewhat  huskily :  '  God  bless  you,  lad,  for 
your  true  heart.'  Then  straightening  himself  in  his 
saddle,  he  cried  in  ringing  tones  to  his  officers :  '  When 
our  men  grow  from  the  stuff  this  boy  is  made  of, 
gentlemen,  it  is  no  wonder  that  the  victory  is  ours.' 

The  crowd  cheered  again  lustily  at  this,  and  Jack- 
son, turning  once  more  to  Lucius,  said :  '  Tell  me  your 
name,  my  boy.      I  should  like  to  remember  it.' 

'  Lucius  Markham,  sir,'  replied  the  boy.  '  That  is 
my  father  coming  up  now.' 

'  What,  the  son  of  Major  Markham !'  said  Jackson. 
*Ha!  a  chip  of  the  old  block. — Major!'  he  hailed,  as 
a  fine-looking  bronzed  officer  rode  by  with  his  battery. 
'  So  this  is  your  son  ?' 

'  I  am  afraid  so,  sir,'  returned  Major  Markham, 
smiling  and  nodding  at  Lucius.  '  What  has  the  young 
scapegrace  been  doing  ?  He  is  always  wanting  to 
follow  the  drum.' 

'  Nay,'  protested  Jackson,  '  I  won't  allow  you  to  call 
him  names.  He  is  a  fine  fellow,  and  wants  to  come 
and  be  a  soldier  under  me.' 

'May  I,  father?'  asked  Lucius  eagerly.  'Do  say 
yes. — I  know  most  of  the  drill,  sir,'  he  added  to  the 
General,  '  and  I  can  shoot  pretty  straight.' 

"fhere  was  a  laugh  among  the  officers  at  this,  but 


STONEWALL   JACKSON's   WAY.  31 

Jackson  checked  it  with  a  look,  and,  turning  to 
Lucius,  said  impressively :  '  Listen  to  me,  Lucius. 
You  are  too  young  to  come  with  me,  but  still  you 
can  be  a  soldier,  and  a  bold  one,  if  you  choose.' 

'In  what  regiment,  sir?'  asked  Lucius,  looking  up 
at  him  eagerly. 

'  In  the  faithful  regiment,'  answered  Stonewall 
gravely,  '  under  the  banner  of"  the  Cross,  and  with 
Christ  for  Commander.  The  war  is  the  holy  war, 
and  the  battles  are  fought  for  God  and  against  self 
and  the  wrong  every  day.  And  remember,  Lucius,' 
he  concluded,  '  the  first  duty  of  a  soldier  is  obedience.' 

He  rode  on,  followed  by  the  cheers  of  the  croM^l, 
while  Major  Markham  slipped  back  to  his  place. 

Lucius  stared  dreamily  after  them,  heedless  of  the 
curious  and  interested  looks  cast  at  him,  till  all  at  once 
a  hand  gripped  his  arm,  and  Ephraim's  voice  whispered 
in  his  ear:  '  Come  awaj^  out  of  the  crowd.  Luce.  I 'se 
suthin'  mighty  partic'ler  to  say  ter  ye.' 


CHAPTER   III 


THE    BALLOON    GOES    UP. 

(TILL  absorbed  in  his  own  thoughts,  Lucius 
followed  his  friend  in  silence  through  the 
crowded  streets  until  they  reached  a  remote 
field  or  piece  of  waste  land  at  the  very  out- 
skirts of  the  town,  and  here  Ephraim  halted  and  spoke 
once  more. 

The  pomp  and  circumstance  of  glorious  war  had 
laid  hold  of  poor  Grizzly,  for  his  cheeks  were  still  red 
and  his  eyes  sparkling,  while  there  was  something 
intense  in  his  voice  as  he  said  :  '  Air  ye  sot,  Luce  ?  Air 
ye  still  sot  like  ye  war  ?' 

'Set  on  what  ?'  asked  Lucius,  still  dreaming. 

'  On  seeino-  the  fiolit.' 

'  Oh  yes,'  answered  Lucius ;  but  his  expression 
plainly  showed  that  he  had  scarcely  heard,  and 
certainly  not  comprehended  Grizzly's  remarks. 

'  Waal,  come  over  hyar,  then,'  said  Ephraim,  '  and 
I  '11  show  ye  what  I  've  been  fixed  outer  fer  the  last 
five  months.' 

He  moved  mysteriously  towards  an  old  shed  of  con- 
siderable size  that  stood  in  a  corner  of  the  field,  and 
with   many   anxious  glances  all  around  unlocked  the 


THE   BALLOON   GOES   UP.  oS 

door.  Though  it  chimed  in  with  his  mood,  his  caution 
was  unnecessary,  for  not  a  civilian  was  in  sight.  Only 
in  the  near  distance  they  could  see  part  of  the  cordon 
of  sentries  pacing  up  and  down  with  bayonets  fixed, 
and  ever  and  anon  a  patrol  rode  swiftly  by.  Occa- 
sionally a  bugle  blared  in  the  town,  and  the  hum  of 
many  voices  came  faintly  to  them.  Except  for  these 
all  was  quiet,  and  they  were  quite  alone. 

'  Come  along,  Luce,'  said  Ephraim,  pulling  him 
through  the  door,  which  he  carefully  shut  and  locked 
behind  him.  'Ye  won't  know  whar  ye  air,  but  I'll 
tell  je.  This  is  my  new  workshop.  I  got  it  a  bargain 
from  Pete  Taylor  last  December  after  us  two  had 
thet  talk.  I  pinned  him  down  not  to  let  on  that  I  had 
the  place,  fer  I  didn't  want  ter  be  followed  and 
worried  by  the  boys.  And  I  been  fixin'  things  hjar 
ever  sence  ye  'lowed  ye  war  so  sot.' 

He  flung  the  shutters  wide  as  he  spoke,  and  the 
light  streamed  through  two  windows  upon  a  great 
heap  of  blue  cotton  material,  apparently  enveloped  in  a 
network  of  fine  ropes.  Here  and  there  lay  other 
ropes  neatly  coiled,  and  close  beside  the  blue  heap  was 
what  looked  like  a  large  round  hamper  without  a  cover. 

'  Waal,'  demanded  Ephraim  anxiously,  after  a  some- 
what protracted  pause,  during  which  Lucius  glanced 
vacantly  around  the  workshop,  '  what  d'  3'e  think 
of  her  ?  I  'lowed  I  'd  try  and  iix  her  up  fer  ye,  seein' 
ye  war  so  sot.' 

'  For  me  ?'  echoed  Lucius.  '  What  is  for  me  ?  I  don't 
see  anything.' 

'Don't  see  nuthin',  don't  ye?'  chuckled  Ephraim.  'I 
reckon  ye  see  without  onderstandin'.  What  d'  ye 
'magine  this  is  V 

c 


o4  THE   BALLOON    GOES    UP. 

He  took  up  an  armful  of  the  blue  fabric  as  he  spoke 
and  let  it  fall  again  in  a  heap. 

'  I  'm  sure  I  don't  know,'  answered  Lucius. 

'  Co'se  ye  don't ;  co'se  ye  don't,'  said  Ephraim,  rub- 
bing his  hands  together,  and  grinning  delightedlj', 
'  Ye  never  see  nuthin'  like  her  before,  I  bet.' 

'  I  have  not,'  returned  Lucius,  now  thoroughly  awake, 
and  examining  everj^thing  wath  great  curiosity.  '  Wliat 

a   queer-looking Oh  !  why.    Grizzly,    if  I    don't 

believe  it's  a  balloon  !' 

Ephraim  sprang  off  the  ground  and  twirled  round  in 
the  air  for  joy.  'Thet's  it,'  he  cried.  'Thet's  it! 
By  time  !  ef  ye  ain't  cute.     Thet's  jest  what  it  is.' 

'  But — but — I  don't  understand,'  said  Lucius,  finger- 
ing the  network.     '  Where  did  you  get  it  ?' 

Ephraim  gave  himself  another  spin.  '  I  done  read 
her  up  out  of  a  book,  and  made  her  myself,'  he  said. 

'Grizzly!'  cried  Lucius  in  profound  admiration. 
'You — made — it — yourself.  Well,  if  you  don't  just 
beat  every  one.  You  're  a  genius,  that 's  what  j^ou  are. 
What  put  it  into  your  head  to  make  it  ?  You  clever 
old  stick  !' 

'You  did,'  answered  Ephraim,  glowing  with  pride 
and  pleasure. 

'/  did  !     Why  ?     How  ?     What  is  it  for,  then  V 

Ephraim  took  a  step  forward  and  looked  into  his 
eyes.  '  Fev  you  and  me  to  sail  around  in  and  watch 
the  war,'  he  said. 

Profound  silence  followed  this  extraor<linary  an- 
nouncement, and  then  Lucius  sat  down  on  a  heap  of 
shavings  a7id  rather  feebly  remarked,  'Oh!'  There 
really  seemed  nothing  more  to  be  said. 

'Yas,   sir,'  went    on    Ephraim,    still    beaming    with 


THE    BALLOON    GOES    UP.  35 

satisfaction  ;  'when  ye  said  ye  wiiz  so  sot  ter  see  some 
fightin',  I  began  ter  study  and  figger  out  what  'd  be 
the  best  way  for  ye  ter  do  it  'thont  ye  gettin'  in  the 
track  of  tlie  bullets.' 

'  Oh,'  commented  Lncius,  '  you  were  afraid  of  being 
killed,  were  you  V 

'  No,  and  I  warn't neither,'  returned  Ephraim  simply; 
'but  I  wuz  powerful  frightened  lest  ye  might  be. 
Bullets  is  sech  darned  unpolites — ^they  never  stops  ter 
inquire  if  ye  b'long  ter  a  fust  fam'ly  or  if  ye  don't.' 

'But  you  know,'  explained  Lucius,  'when  I  said 
that  I  wanted  to  see  a  battle,  I  meant  that  I  wanted  to 
take  part  in  one.' 

'  I  know  ye  did,'  assented  Ephraim.  '  At  the  same 
time,  ez  fur  ez  I  kin  I'arn,  that's  about  the  most 
or'nery  way  of  seein'  a  battle  ez  has  ever  been  invented. 
I  tell  ye,  a  bullet  is  the  meanes'  thing  alive.' 

Lucius  laughed.  '  But  we  can't  fight  if  we  are  up  in 
the  air,  Grizzly,'  he  observed. 

'  Can't  we  ?  I  reckon  we  kin,  though,'  replied 
Ephraim.  '  But  ez  fur  ez  that  goes,  who  wants  ter 
fight  ?  I  don't,  fer  wun  ;  and  I  don't  mean  to  let  you, 
fer  another.  Ain't  there  enuff"  of  'em  hammerin'  away 
just  now  without  you  and  me  joinin'  in  ?' 

'  That 's  not  very  patriotic,'  said  Lucius  with  em- 
phasis. 

'Ain't  it?'  answered  Ephraim  drily.  'I  reckon  it's 
sense  all  the  same.  Anyway,  this  is  how  I  've  fixed  it 
up.  If  ye  don't  like  my  way,  I  promise  ye,  ye  won't 
get  a  chance  to  go  off  on  yer  own,  ef  I  have  ter  tie  ye 
in  a  chair  and  keep  ye  at  my  own  expense  until  the 
war  is  through.' 

Lucius   laughed   again.     'You   dear  old  Grizzly,'  he 


36  THE   BALLOON    GOES    UP. 

said,  'you  are  always  thinking  of  me.  I  'd  just  love  to 
go  with  you.  It  will  be  splendid  fun.  But,  tell  me, 
how  ever  did  you  manage  to  make  such  a  wonderful 
thing  all  by  yourself  ? ' 

'  Waal,  I  don't  say  it  war  ez  easy  ez  hoein'  a  row,' 
i^eplied  Ephraim,  '  but  it  warn't  so  dreadful  hard 
nuther.  I  got  it  all  outern  a  book,  as  I  was  telling 
ye,  and  made  her  to  measurement,  and  thar  she  is,  ye 
see.  Besides,'  he  added  with  an  affectionate  grin, 
'  seein'  ez  how  it  wuz  fer  ye  I  made  her,  Luce,  I  didn't 
take  no  count  of  trouble.  Ef  thar  wuz  any,  I  reckon 
it  never  come  my  way.' 

'  Upon  my  word,  you  are  a  good  old  Grizzly,'  cried 
Lucius  enthusiastically,  and  fetching  Ephraim  a  sound- 
ing slap  between  the  shoulders,  which  seemed  to  delight 
the  assaulted  one  immensely.  '  To  think  of  your  taking 
all  that  trouble  just  to  please  me.  And  the  thing 
itself — why,  it 's  magnificent !  If  you  aren't  clever  ! 
Say,  Grizzly,  are  you  sure  it  will  hold  us  ? ' 

'I  reckon,'  answered  Ephraim.  'Git  inter  the  kyar 
and  see.' 

'Yes,  I  see  there's  plenty  of  room  in  there,'  said 
Lucius,  but  what  I  meant  to  say  was,  will  it  bear  us, 
hold  us  up,  or  whatever  you  call  it  ? ' 

'  Waal,  I  should  say  so,'  cried  Ephraim  joyously. 
'  Ye  onderstand.  Luce,  thet  's  jest  whar  the  hard  part 

came  in.     I  had  ter  cal'clate  the  strain  and But 

d'  ye  know  anythin'  'bout  airy  nortics  ? ' 

'Airy  who?'  repeated  Lucius,  puzzled.  'Oh,  I  see, 
aeronautics.' 

'  Waal,  I  said  so.     D'  ye  know  'em  ? ' 

Lucius  shook  his  head. 

'  Then  I  han't  no  time  ter  teach  ye  now.     Ye  kin 


THE    BALLOON    GOES    UP.  37 

read  'em  np  twixt  now  and  the  time  we  go  up,  ef  ye 
like.' 

'  I  shouldn't  understand  it,'  said  Lucius.  '  I  guess 
I'll  leave  it  to  you.  It  means  the  way  to  handle  a 
balloon,  I  suppose  ?' 

'  Thet  's  about  it,'  answered  Ephraim  sententiously. 
'I  'magine  it's  easy  'nuft!  I  read  her  up,  and  if  ye 
care  to  come,  why,  I  ain't  afraid  ter  be  airy-nort.' 

'  I'll  go  with  you  fast  enough,'  said  Lucius.  '  It  will 
be  grand.     When  do  you  mean  to  start  ? ' 

'  Waal,  perhaps  we  'd  better  wait  till  we  get  a  notion 
whar  old  Stonewall 's  goin'  ter.  Then  we  kin  foller 
him  up;  fer,  don't  ye  know,  thar's  bound  ter  be  some 
mighty  stark  fightin'  when  old  Stonewall  is  around.' 

'  Oh  !'  cried  Lucius,  flushing  scarlet,  as  a  sudden 
recollection  struck  him.  'I  forgot.  I  won't — I  mean 
I  can't  go  with  you.' 

'What!  what's  thet  ye  say?'  exclaimed  Ephraim, 
too  astonished  for  further  speech. 

*  A  soldier's  first  duty  is  obedience,'  went  on  Lucius, 
speaking  to  himself.  'It's  no  use,  Grizzly;  I'll  just 
have  to  stay  behind.' 

'  What  ails  ye  ter  say  such  ez  thet  ? '  asked  Ephraim, 
much  aggrieved.  '  Right  now  ye  seemed  willin'  'nuff', 
and  ye  looked  right  peart  and  chipper.  Ye  seemed  ter 
ache  ter  come.  Co'se  ye  mought  have  been  funnin' 
bout'n  thet;  but  ef  thet's  so,  why,  I  give  in  I  never 
war  so  fooled  before.' 

'  No,'  said  Lucius,  shaking  his  head  sadly ;  '  you 
were  not  wrong.  I  did  want  to  go.  I  do  still,  very 
much  indeed.' 

'  Then  why  in  thunder  don't  ye  ?'  queried  the  mysti- 
fied Ephraim. 


3cS  THE    BALLOON    GOES    UP. 

'  Well,'  answered  Lucius,  growing  very  red  again, 
and  stirring  a  coil  of  ropes  with  his  foot,  'you  know 
what  father  said  when  I  told  him  I  wanted  to  join ; 
and  then  he  said — the  General,  I  nieah. — "  a  soldier's 
first  duty  is  obedience."  And,  oh  !  Grizzly,'  he  cried, 
flinging  himself  face  downwards  upon  the  blue  heap, 
'  I  'd  just  love  to  go  now ;  for  since  he  spoke  to  me,  I  'd 
follow  him  through  fire  and  water  all  the  world  over. 
But  I  mustn't — I  mustn't.' 

Ephraim  stood  twining  his  long  brown  fingers 
together,  the  picture  of  distress  at  sight  of  Luce's  grief. 
A  blue  vein  which  ran  perpendicularly  in  the  centre  of 
his  forehead,  swelled  out,  a  rusj'ofed  bar,  against  which 
the  waves  of  red  which  chased  one  another  over  his 
face  broke  and  receded.  His  eyes  were  troubled,  and 
swept  rapidly  up  and  down  and  round  and  round  as  if 
seeking  inspiration,  while  so  firmly  were  his  lips  com- 
pressed that  the  line  of  parting  could  barely  be  dis- 
tinguished. 

'  Don't  ye  take  on  so,  Luce.  I  can't  abear  it,'  he 
muttered  huskily,  at  last.  Then,  as  if  with  the 
breaking  of  his  silence  the  idea  of  which  he  had  been 
in  pursuit  had  been  captured,  he  emitted  a  sudden 
cackle  of  satisfaction,  and  flinging  himself  down  beside 
Lucius,  drew  the  boy  to  him  and  hugged  him  like  a 
grizzly  indeed. 

'  Cheer  up,  Luce  ! '  he  cried.  '  I  done  got  the  way. 
By  time  !  what  an  or'nery  fool  I  must  hev  been  not  ter 
remember  thet.' 

'  Remember  what  ? '  asked  Lucius,  willing  but  unable 
to  see  a  ray  of  comfort. 

'  What  I  been  doin'  ter  let  thet  notion  past  me  ? ' 
inquired  Ephraim  cheerfully  of  himself.     '  I  declar'  I 


THE    BALLOON    GOES    UP.  39 

had  her  all  along ;  on'y  when  ye  up  'n  said  ye  wouldn't 
come,  I  'low  I  let  her  slip  fer  a  minnit.' 

'  I  wish  you  'd  explain,'  said  Lucius  fretfully. 

'  Comin',  Luce,  comin'.  Don't  ye  go  fer  ter  knock 
thet  idee  out  er  my  head  agen  with  yer  talk.  Why,  I 
war  workin'  along  the  very  same  lines  myself  when 
we  began  ter  talk,  if  ye  recollect.  Now,  see  liyar. 
This  is  the  way  I  put  it  up.  Your  par,  he  says  ye  're 
not  ter  go  fightin' — and  1  swow  it 's  the  last  thing  / 
want  ter  do — Old  Stonewall  he  'lows  ye  orter  do  ez  yer 
par  says,  and  ye  'low  ye  orter  agree  with  both  of  'em. 
Ain't  thet  so  ? ' 

'  That 's  so,'  admitted  Lucius  forlornly. 

'  Ezacly  !  Waal  now,  Luce,  I  '11  give  ye  the  whole 
idee  in  a  par'ble.  Ye  know  thet  black  bull  way  down 
ter  Holmes's  place  ?'  Lucius  nodded.  '  Waal  then,  we  '11 
suppose  yer  par  sez  ter  ye :  "  Luce,"  sez  he,  "  that  bull  er 
Holmes's  is  powerful  servigerous.  I  '11  not  hev  ye 
goin  inter  the  fiekl  ter  take  him  by  the  tail !  "  ' 

'  Well  ? '  laughed  Lucius,  as  Ephraim  paused  to 
wrestle  with  his  idea. 

'  Waal,  ye  'low  ye  '11  do  ez  yer  par  sez  ;  but  all  the 
same  ye  hev  an  outrageous  hankerin'  ter  see  thet  bull 
er  Holmes's.     Now,  what  d'  ye  reckon  ye'd  do  ?' 

'  Why,  sit  on  the  fence  and  look  at  him,'  answered 
Lucius. 

'Ezacly!'  cried  Ephraim  joyously.  'Thet's  what  I 
'lowed  ye  'd  do.  And  think  no  harm  of  it  ? '  he  finished 
anxiously. 

'  No,'  said  Lucius ;  '  I  wasn't  told  not  to  look  at  the 
bull.  I  don't  see  how  there  could  be  any  harm  in 
doing  that.' 

'  Then  thet 's  all  right.     This  hyar  fight,  thet  stands 


40  THE   BALLOON   GOES    UP. 

fer  Holmes's  bull,  ye  onclerstand  ;  and  the  old  balloon, 
she  stands  fer  the  ring  fence.     How  does  thet  strike 

ye?' 

'You  mean,'  said  Lucius  thoughtfully,'  that  since 
we  only  intend  to  watch  what  is  going  on,  I  shall  be 
doing  no  harm  if  I  go  with  you.' 

'  Thet 's  it,  I  reckon.  Why,  don't  ye  know,  I  've  been 
studyin'  all  the  time  how  I  could  git  ye  thar,  and  give 
ye  suthin'  like  what  ye  wanted,  without  ye  runnin'  no 
resks.'  It  did  not  appear  to  strike  Ephraim  that  there 
could  be  any  risk  connected  with  the  balloon  itself. 
'  Waal,'  he  added  after  a  pause,  during  which  Lucius 
gave  himself  up  to  reflection,  '  what  d'  ye  'low  ye  '11 
do?' 

'I '11  come,'  said  Lucius,  rising  to  his  feet.  'There 
can't  be  anything  wrong  in  this,  for  it's  only  a  piece 
of  fun.'  There  was  a  note  of  doubt  in  his  voice ; 
but  he  was  anxious  to  allow  himself  to  be  con- 
vinced. 

'Then  thet's  fixed,'  said  Ephraim,  with  a  sigh  of 
relief.  ' 'Tain't  likely  ez  I'd  ask  ye  ter  do  anythin' 
wrong.  Luce. — Now  we  '11  git  outern  thi.s,  and  I  '11  let 
ye  know  when  all 's  ready  fer  a  start.' 

'  But  how  are  you  going  to  manage  it  ?'  asked  Lucius. 
'  What  about  the  gas  ?' 

'  I  '11  show  ye,'  answered  Ephraim.  '  See  them  two 
bar'ls  ?' 

'  No,'  said  Lucius ;  '  I  don't  see  any  barrels.' 

'  Thar,  opposite  the  door,  buried  in  the  ground.' 

'Oh  yes;  filled  with  straw.     What  are  they  for?' 

'  They  ain't  filled  with  straw,  ye  onderstand,'  ex- 
plained Ephraim.     '  I  '11  show  ye.' 

He  gathered  up  the  straw  from  the  top  of  one  of  the 


THE    BALLOON    GOES    UP.  41 

barrels,  and  disclosed  underneath  a  quantity  of  iron 
filings  and  borings. 

'  Why,  that 's  iron,'  exclaimed  Lucius  ;  '  what  has 
that  to  do  with  gas  V 

'  Hold  on,'  replied  Ephraim  genially.  '  I  '11  make  it 
cl'ar  ter  ye  in  a  jiffy.  Ye  see,'  he  pursued,  'this  kind 
er  thing  goes  on  all  the  way  down — a  layer  er  straw 
and  a  layer  er  iron-filin's  plumb  down  ter  the  bottom 
er  the  bar'l.' 

'  I  see,'  said  Lucius,  looking  very  wise,  though,  as  a 
matter  of  fact,  he  was  as  much  in  the  dark  as  ever. 

'  Now,'  went  on  Ephraim,  pointing  to  some  carboys 
ranged  against  the  wall,  '  them  things  is  full  er  sul- 
phuric acid — vitriol,  that  is  ter  say  ;  and  ez  soon  ez  ever 
I  take  and  heave  the  acid  on  top  er  the  iron-filin's,  the 
gas — hydrergin  it 's  called — begins  ter  come  off.' 

'Does  it?'  said  Lucius,  much  interested.  'Let's 
see,' 

Ephraim  grinned.  '  I  reckon  I  han't  been  gatherin' 
the  stuff  all  these  months  jest  ter  fire  it  off  before  the 
time,'  he  remarked  ;  '  but  I  '11  show  ye  the  same  thing 
in  a  little  way,  so  ter  speak.' 

He  took  a  glass  flask  from  a  shelf  and  placed  a  few 
iron-filings  in  it.  He  then  poured  some  sulphuric  acid 
into  a  cup,  added  some  w^ater  thereto,  and  finally  intro- 
duced it  into  the  flask,  completely  covering  the  lumps 
of  iron. 

'Now,'  said  he,  '  ye  '11  see  what  ye  11  see.'  He  closed 
the  mouth  of  the  flask  with  a  cork  through  which  was 
set  a  glass  tube,  and  to  the  free  end  of  this  latter  he 
presently  applied  a  lighted  match.  Instantly  the  gas 
which  was  issuing  from  the  tube  ignited,  and  burned 
with  a  pure,  pale  flame. 


42  THE   BALLOON   GOES   UP. 

'Hooray!'  shouted  Lucius.  'That's  wonderful.  I 
never  saw  anything  like  it.' 

'  Waal,  it 's  been  done  before,  ye  know,'  said  Ephraiin 
drily.     '  I  didn't  invent  it.' 

'  You  're  a  marvel,  all  the  same,'  cried  Lucius  enthu- 
siastically. '  My  !  what  a  splash  you  '11  make  when 
you  get  to  college,  Grizzly.' 

Ephraim  turned  quickly  away,  and  stooping  down, 
replaced  the  straw  which  he  had  taken  from  the 
barrel.  When  he  looked  up  again,  his  face  was  very 
pale. 

'  Ye  see,  Luce,'  he  went  on,  concluding  his  explan- 
ation, but  speaking  with  much  less  lire  and  anima- 
tion, '  what  went  on  in  the  tlask  is  what  '11  go  on  in 
the  bar'ls,  and  ez  the  hydrergin  comes  off  it  '11  be  led 
through  these  pipes,  which  I  can  fix  outer  the  bar'ls, 
inter  a  tank  er  water,  ye  maybe  noticed  standin'  out- 
side. Thar's  a  receiver  in  the  tank,  or  thar  will  be 
wanst  we  're  ready,  and  another  pipe  '11  be  led  from 
thar  to  the  balloon,  and  thar  ye  air.' 

'  What  do  you  lead  the  gas  under  water  for  ?'  in- 
quired Lucius. 

'  Ter  cool  it  fer  wan  thing,  and  ter  wash  it  fer 
another.' 

'  Well,  it 's  wonderful !  That  s  all  I  can  say,'  re- 
peated Lucius.  '  And  to  think  that  you  should  have 
done  everything  all  by  yourself.  But,  Grizzly,  surely 
you  can't  fill  the  balloon  and  let  her  up  without  help.' 

'  I  know  thet ;  but  don't  ye  fret,'  returned  Ephraim. 
'I  bet  she'll  be  ready  when  we  air.  There's  two  or 
three  in  the  works  ez  I  kin  trust  to  tell  about  her 
'thout  them  lettin'  it  go  all  over  the  town.  All  ye  hev 
ter  do  is  ter  go  home  and  set  still  till  I  arsk  ye  ter  git 


THE    BALLOON    GOES    UP.  43 

up. — Come  on ;  let 's  be  ofi'  out  er  this.'  For  some 
reason  or  other  he  was  growing  restless  under  Luce's 
perpetual  fire  of  questions. 

'  How  pretty  the  blue  stuff  looks,  varnished,'  said 
Lucius,  adding  suddenly  :  '  It  must  have  cost  an  awful 
lot,  Grizzly.  Where  did  you  get  all  the  money  to  buy 
it  with  V 

'  Oh,  hyar  and  thar,'  answered  Ephraim  uncomfort- 
ably. 'I  sold  things.  She  ain't  made  er  silk,  ye  know 
— only  er  cotton  stuff. — Come  on,  Luce,  it 's  gittin'  late, 
and  Aunty  Chris  will  be  hollerin'  fer  her  tea.' 

But  Lucius  stood  still,  looking  down  upon  the  con- 
fused heap  of  material  and  cordage,  and  pondering 
deeply.  All  at  once  he  swung  round  and  faced  Ephraim. 
'  Grizzly,'  he  said  jerkily,  '  I  believe  you  have  broken 
into  the  pile.' 

Ephraim's  face  was  a  study  If  he  had  been  caught 
robbing  his  master's  till,  he  could  not  have  looked  more 
sheepish  and  ashamed.  He  shifted  uneasily  from  one 
foot  to  the  other,  and  twisted  his  long  fingers  in  and 
out  till  all  the  joints  cracked  like  a  volley  of  small- 
arms.     '  Waal,  waal ' he  stuttered. 

'You've  broken  into  the  pile,'  interrupted  Lucius. 
'  For  five  years  you  've  been  grubbing  and  saving  all 
for  one  purpose,  working  overtime,  and  making  odds 
and  ends  here  and  there  for  the  boys,  all  for  one  pur- 
pose— that  you  might  go  to  college.  And  now  you  've 
gone  and  upset  everything.  I  '11  bet  you  haven't  a 
dollar  left  of  all  your  savings.     Now,  have  you  ?' 

'  No,'  mumbled  Ephraim  shamefacedly.     '  But ' 

'  I  know  what  you  're  going  to  say,'  broke  in 
Lucius — '  you  did  it  for  me.  You  are  always  doing 
things  for  me.     But  you'd  no  right  to  do  this.     You  'd 


44  THE    BALLOON    GOES    UP. 

no  right  to  spoil  your  whole  life  just  for  me.  What 
can  I  do  ?     I  can't  pay  you  back.     And  father '— 

'  Ez  ter  thet,'  interjected  Ephraim,  '  it  war  uiy  own. 
I  ain't  ask  in'  any  wan  ter  put  it  back.' 

'  It  wasn't  your  own,'  burst  out  Lucius.  '  At  least  it 
wasn't  your  own  to  do  as  you  liked  with.  It  was  to 
help  you  on  in  the  world.  It  was  to  give  your  braiiis 
a  chance.  Oh  !  weren't  there  heaps  of  ways  in  which 
we  could  have  had  our  fun  without  this  ?  If  I  'd 
known  it,  if  I  'd  dreamed  of  it,  I  'd  have  gone  off  and 
'listed  without  a  word  to  any  one.' 

'  I  know  ye  would,  Luce,'  said  Ephraim  quietly. 
'Ye  were  mighty  nigh  doin'  it  thet  snowy  night  when 
ye  came  ter  me.  Thet  sot  me  thinkin'.  I  sez  ter 
m'self,  sez  I,  I  reckon  it 's  mostly  froth  on  Luce's  part. 
Ef  I  ken  git  him  pinned  down  ter  come  with  me,  I 
guess  I  kin  keep  him  out  er  harm's  way.  Lordy  !  Luce, 
what  would  I  hev  done  ef  I  'd  gone  and  lost  ye  ?  Waal, 
ez  I  sot  tliar  thinkin'  ter  m'self,  all  at  once  thar  comes 
an  idee.  I  dunno  whar  it  came  from,  but  thet's  it' — 
he  pointed  to  the  balloon — '  and  wanst  I  gripped  it  I 
never  let  it  go  again,  fer  it  jest  seemed  the  best  way 
in  all  the  world  fer  ter  let  ye  see  all  ye  wanted  ter  see, 
and  ter  keep  ye  safe  et  the  same  time.'  He  held  up 
his  hand  as  Lucius  was  about  to  speak. 

'Don't  say  it  again,  Luce.  It's  done  now,  and 
can't  be  undone.  Maybe  some  folk  'd  think  it  war  a 
mad  thing  ter  do  ;  but  it  didn't  seem  so  ter  me,  seein' 
it  war  done  fer  you.' 

Sometimes  the  step  from  the  ridiculous  to  the 
sublime  is  as  easy  as  that  in  the  opposite  direction.  It 
was  so  now,  when  the  rough,  hard-handed  mechanic, 
whose  brains,  nevertheless,  had  been  able  to  devise  and 


THE    BALLOON    GOES    UP.  45 

execute  this  wonderful  thing,  stood  before  the  high- 
spirited,  empty-headed  boy,  whom  he  loved,  and  for 
whose  well-being,  as  he  imagined,  he  had  thrown  away 
his  substance  and  his  worldly  hopes. 

For  a  few  moments  there  was  silence  between  the 
boys,  Ephraim  standing  with  his  hand  upon  the  bolt  of 
the  door,  Lucius  driving  first  the  toe  and  then  the  heel 
of  his  boot  into  the  ground.  At  last  he  shuffled  over  to 
Ephraim,  glanced  shyly  up  into  the  big  gray  eyes  that 
beamed  so  affectionately  down  on  him,  and  with  some- 
thing that  sounded  suspiciously  like  a  sob,  clasped 
Grizzly's  free  hand  in  both  his  own. 

Ephraim  flung  wide  the  door.  '  Garn  away  !'  he  said 
with  a  genial  grin,  and  tenderly  shoved  Lucius  out  of 
the  cabin. 

On  the  following  Wednesday  Jackson  marched  his 
army  out  of  Staunton,  broke  up  the  camp  at  West 
View,  and  started  to  attack  General  Mih^o}-,  whom  he 
met  and  defeated  with  heavy  loss  at  McDowell.  Move- 
ment then  followed  movement  so  rapidly  that  the 
people  of  Staunton  were  bewildered.  However,  as  all 
the  news  they  received  told  of  the  success,  they  were 
also  content.  Meanwhile  the  month  wore  to  an  end 
without  another  word  from  Ephraim  to  Lucius  on  the 
subject  of  the  balloon.  But  at  last,  one  bright  after- 
noon in  early  June,  the  long  expected  and  desired 
summons  came. 

Lucius  was  sitting  idly  on  his  own  gate,  whittling  a 
stick,  when  a  working-man  approached  him,  and  after 
a  cautious  look  up  the  avenue  to  see  if  any  one  else 
was  in  sight,  observed  interrogatively,  'Young  Squire 
Markham  ?' 

Lucius  nodded,  and  the  man  went  on  :  *  Ef  that's  so. 


46  THE    BALLOON   GOES   UP. 

I've  a  message  fer  ye  from  the  Grizzly.  He  sez  ye 're 
ter  jine  him  et  the  shed  any  time  ye  think  fit  after 
midnight,  and  before  cla5^' 

'Is  he — going  up?'  asked  Lucius,  with  rounded 
eyes. 

'I  'low  he  is,  ef  the  wind  holds  from  the  south-west,' 
replied  the  man.     '  Will  I  say  ye  '11  Le  on  hand  ?' 

'Rather!'  answered  Lucius.  'Here's  a  dollar  for 
your  trouble.  I  'm  much  obliged. — Hi !  you  won't  say 
anytliing  about  it  ?' 

'  I  'm  dumb,  squire,'  grinned  the  man  as  he  moved 
away,  while  Lucius,  ablaze  with  excitement,  stole  into 
the  house  and  shut  himself  up  in  his  room  to  think. 

He  knew  perfectly  well  that  he  was  about  to  do 
wrong ;  but  he  tried  to  deceive  himself  into  the  belief 
that  Ephraim's  casuistry  afforded  him  a  sufficient 
excuse  for  o;oino[  oft"  without  the  leave  which  would 
certainly  never  have  been  granted  him.  Moreover, 
he  argued  that,  after  the  sacrifice  which  Ephraim  had 
made  just  to  give  him  pleasure,  he  could  not  now  hang 
back.  In  a  word,  as  many  a  wise  person  has  done 
before  and  since,  he  set  up  objections  like  so  many 
men  of  straw,  and  deliberately  proceeded  to  knock 
them  down  again. 

At  last  he  succeeded  in  crowding  his  conscience  into 
a  corner,  and  about  eleven  o'clock,  when  every  one 
else  in  the  house  was  fast  asleep,  rose  from  the  bed 
where  he  had  tossed  and  turned  since  nine,  and  slip- 
ping on  his  clothes,  softly  opened  the  window  and  got 
out. 

The  night  was  very  dark ;  a  light  breeze  blew 
from  the  south  ;  and  the  waving  branches  of  shrubs 
and  trees  smote  Lucius  gently  on  the  face  as  he  stole 


THE   BALLOON   GOES   UP.  47 

through  the  plantations  to  the  turnpike.  His  heart 
thumped  violently  against  his  ribs,  for  it  seemed  to 
him  as  if  unseen  hands  were  laying  hold  of  him  and 
striving  to  draw  him  back  to  his  duty.  But  all  these 
sombre  thoughts  took  fiiglit  when  he  reached  the 
rendezvous,  where  Ephraim,  with  the  aid  of  half  a 
dozen  of  his  fellow-workmen,  was  engaged  in  inflating 
the  balloon. 

Three  or  four  great  torches  illuminated  the  scene, 
which  was  to  Lucius  at  least  sufficiently  awe-inspiring, 
for  what  he  had  last  seen  a  tangled  heap  upon  the 
floor  of  the  cabin,  now  rose  a  vast  bulk,  which,  passing 
into  the  mirk  above  the  flare  of  the  torches,  seemed 
to  rear  itself  into  the  very  vault  of  heaven.  Lucius 
trembled  as  he  watched  it. 

'  Hello !  Luce,'  said  Ephraim,  coming  forward. 
'  Ye  're  hyar  on  time.' 

Lucius  attempted  to  reply,  but  the  words  stuck  in 
his  throat,  and  he  only  gripped  Ephraim  nervously  by 
the  arm. 

'Purty,  ain't  she  ?'  asked  Ephraim  with  pardonable 
pride,  as  he  surveyed  his  handiwork,  which,  now  nearly 
full,  and  securely  anchored  to  the  ground  by  strong 
ropes,  swayed  to  and  fro  in  the  night  wind. 

'  She  ain't  big,  ye  know,'  went  on  Ephraim — big ! 
she  seemed  to  Lucius  like  a  vast  mountain — '  she  ain't 
big,  ye  know,  but  she  '11  carry  the  like  er  us  two  shore 
and  easy.  Say,  Luce,'  as  he  felt  the  latter  shaken  by  a 
violent  shiver,  '  ye  ain't  afraid,  air  ye  ?' 

'  Not  I,'  answered  Lucius,  as  well  as  he  could  for  his 
chattering  teeth.  '  I  'm  cold — I  'm  excited  ;  but  I  'm 
not  in  the  least  frightened.  Shall  we  get  into  the 
car?' 


48  THE    BALLOON    GOES    UP. 

'Not  yet,'  answered  Ephraim.  'She  ain't  full  yet. 
I  '11  tell  ye  when.' 

But  two  intolerably  lonc^  hours  passed  before 
Ephraim  hailed  him  with :  '  Now  then,  Luce,  I  reckon 
she  's  ready,  ef  ye  air.' 

At  the  sound  of  his  voice  Lucius  started.  To  say 
that  the  boy  was  merely  frightened  would  be  incorrect. 
He  was  sick  and  faint  with  a  deadly,  paralysing  fear. 
The  terrors  of  the  unknown  had  got  hold  upon  him 
with  a  vengeance.  However,  he  managed  to  stumble 
forward  without  knowing  exactly  how  he  did  it,  and 
assisted  by  one  of  the  men,  scrambled  into  the  car, 
wdiere  Ephraim  was  already  standing.  The  next 
moment  the  balloon,  released  from  all  its  bonds  save 
one,  shot  up  to  the  extent  of  the  remaining  rope. 

'  Wo  '11  be  oft'  in  a  jiffy,'  said  Ephraim  cheerfully. 
'  Good-bye,  boys.  Take  keer  on  yersels  till  we  see  ye 
again.  It  don't  matter  who  ye  tell  now.  We  '11  bring 
ye  the  latest  news  from  the  scat  er  war.  Cast  her 
loose.' 

'Wait !'  gasped  Lucius,  rousing  himself  by  a  mighty 
effort.  '  I  meant  to  write  a  message  before  1  left  home  ; 
but  I  forgot.  One  of  you  go  up  to  the  Hall  in  the 
morning  and  tell  my  mother  I  'm  all  right,  and  that 
I'll  be  back  in  a  day  or  two.' 

He  leaned  over  the  side  of  the  car  as  he  spoke,  and 
one  of  the  men  answered  him.  Then,  even  as  he 
looked,  the  torches  suddenly  lessened  to  brightly 
twinkling  points  of  light,  then  to  mere  sparks,  and 
finally  went  out  altogether. 


/^      '^*C 


CHAPTER    IV. 


THE    BALLOON    COMES    DOWN. 

ELLO  !'    exclaimed    Lucius.      'What    have 
they  put  out  the  torches  for,  I  wonder.' 

'  So  they  hev/  said  Ephraim,  peering 
over.  '  Sh  !  keep  mum  !  Maybe  thar  's 
some  wan  tryin'  ter  head  us  oif.  I  wish  they  'd  let 
her  go.'  Then,  as  no  sound  broke  the  stillness  of  the 
night,  nor  could  any  noise  of  footsteps  be  heard,  he 
called  softly,  'Let  her  go  !' 

Instantly  came  back  a  response  in  his  own  words, 
as  a  bo'sun  repeats  the  orders  of  the  mate,  '  Let  her 
go  !' 

But  the  balloon  remained  stationary,  and  at  last, 
after  waiting  for  a  moment  or  two,  Ephraim  cast 
prudence  to  the  winds  and  shouted  at  the  top  of  his 
voice  :  '  Let  her  go,  ye  durned  fools.  Why  don't  je  let 
her  go  ?' 

'Ye  durned  fools,  why  don't  ye  let  her  go?'  was 
hurled  back  at  him  with  savage  emphasis. 

'By  time!'  began  Ephraim — when  Lucius  inter- 
rupted with,  'That  was  echo.  Grizzly.' 

'Echo  in  this  yer  field!'  retorted  Ephraim.  'Thar 
ain't   any    echo.     If    thar    war,   why   didn't  she  up  'n 

D 


50  THE    BALLOON    COMES    DOWN. 

answer    when    I    gave    the    boys    good-bye    and    ye 
hollered  out  yer  message?' 

'  Well,  it  sounded  like  it,'  persisted  Lucius.  '  Try 
again  and  make  sure.' 

'Let  her  go,  can't  ye?'  howled  Ephraim,  unable,  in 
his  anxiety  to  be  quit  of  mother  earth,  to  think  of 
any  other  test.     But  this  time  there  was  no  reply. 

'  What  'd  I  tell  ye  ?'  cried  Ephraim  excitedly.  '  Thar 
warn't  no  echo.  The  or'nery  skunks  hev  been  playin' 
it  back  on  us,  and  now  they  've  skedaddled  and  left 
us  anchoi'ed  hj-ar.' 

'  Perhaps  some  one  came  along  and  scared  them,' 
suggested  Lucius. 

'I'll  scare  'em  wanst  I  git  down  aofen,'  grumbled 
Ephraim.  '  However,  it  don't  amount  ter  a  cob  er 
corn.  I  '11  soon  cut  her  loose,  though  sutt'nly  I  didn't 
want  ter  lose  that  extry  bit  er  rope.' 

'  It 's  grown  very  cold  all  of  a  sudden,'  remarked 
Lucius,  as  Ephraim  hunted  round  for  the  lantern  he 
had  brought.  'And  wet,  too.  Oh!'  as  the  Grizzly 
drew  the  slide  and  flashed  the  light  here  and  there. 
'  It 's  raining  hard,  and  never  a  sound  on  the  balloon. 
How  very  odd.' 

'Hj^ar's  the  rope,'  exclaimed  Ephraim  at  this  junc- 
ture. '  Ketch  hold  on  the  light,  Luce,  while  I  cut 
her  through.' 

He  handed  the  lantern  to  Lucius,  and  having 
opened  a  formidable  clasp-knife,  put  his  hand  through 
the  cords  which  rose  from  the  car,  and  laid  hold  of 
the  detaining  rope. 

Instantly  an  exclamation  of  deep  surprise  escaped 
him.     The  rope  was  slack. 

'  What 's   wrong  now  ?'  inquired   Lucius,  still  occu- 


THE   BALLOON   COMES   DOWN.  51 

pied  in  wondering  why  the  rain  had  made  no  sound. 
'  It  has  stopped  raining.     I  can  see  the  stars  again.' 

For  answer  Ephraim  broke  into  peal  after  peal  of 
laughter.  '  Co'se  ye  kin  !  Co'se  ye  kin  !'  he  shouted. 
'  Why,  don't  ye  know  ye  must  be  nigh  on  a  mile 
nearer  ter  'em  than  wdien  ye  started.     Ho  !  ho  !  ho  !' 

'What  do  you  mean?'  asked  Lucius.  'We  can't 
have  gone  up  so  high  just  since  you  cut  the  rope.' 

'Cut  the  rope!'  cried  Ephraim.  'I  never  did  cut 
the  rope.  See  hyar.'  He  hauled  in  the  slack  and 
Hung  it  on  the  floor  of  the  car.  '  While  us  two  fust- 
class  samples  er  prize  ijots  hez  been  growlin'  and 
howlin',  ole  Blue  Bag  hyar  hez  been  cuttin'  through 
space  like  a  wheel-saw  goin'  through  a  block  er  pine.' 

'My!'  exclaimed  Lucius.  'Then  the  torches  were 
not  put  out  by  the  men  ?' 

'  Not  them,'  chuckled  Ephraim.  '  The  old  balloon 
jest  lit  out  fer  the  sky  and  left  'em.' 

'  I  didn't  feel  any  movement  then,  and  I  don't  nowV 
said  Lucius  incredulously.     'Are  you  sure  we  are  off?' 

'You  kin  smile,'  returned  Ephraim.  '  You  've  looked 
yer  last  on  the  old  world  fer  a  bit.  Why,  that  echo 
might  hev  told  me,  fer  I  read  about  jest  such  a  thing 
in  my  book  ;  but  I  war  that  flabbergasted  et  what 
ye  said  about  the  torches  that  I  clean  forgot  it.' 

'Was  the  echo  in  the  air  then  ?'  asked  Lucius. 

'It  p'intedly  war.  Thar  and  nowhar  else.  Then 
we  got  out  er  that  belt  and  whoosh !  through  thet 
cloud  and  rain-storm,  and  hyar  we  air  bright  and 
early,  all  ready  to  give  howdy  to  the  little  twinklin' 
stars.     Hurroo !' 

'But  are  you  sure?'  persisted  Lucius.  'I  can't 
believe  it.' 


52  TUE    BALLOON   COMES    DOWN. 

'Waal,  it's  so,  sonny.  Ye  kin  see  far  yerself.' 
Ephraim  tore  up  some  paper  and  flung  the  pieces  over 
the  side  of  the  car,  and  as  he  flashed  the  light  upon 
them,  Lucius  observed  that  they  appeared  to  be 
fluttering  down.  '  Thet  shows  we  're  goin'  up,  ye 
onderstand,'  said  Grizzly. 

'  No,  I  do  not  understand,'  answered  Lucius ;  '  and 
since  you  know  so  much  about  it,  you  'd  better 
explain.' 

Ephraim  needed  no  second  bidding,  but  at  once 
began  a  learned  discourse  on  ballast,  valves,  and  every- 
thing pertaining  to  the  manufacture  and  management 
of  balloons,  when  Lucius  suddenly  shrieked  out :  '  My 
ears  are  beating  like  drums,  and  I  think  my  head  is 
going  to  burst.' 

'Ye  don't  say  so!'  responded  Ephraim  in  unaffected 
alarm.  '  Hello !  so 's  mine.  We  must  be  goin'  up 
too  hififh.     Hold  on  !  I  '11  fetch  her  down.' 

He  pulled  the  cord  which  opened  the  valve  as  he 
spoke,  and  presently  they  were  conscious  of  pleasanter 
surroundings. 

'  That 's  better,'  said  Lucius.  '  Do  you  know,  I 
think  it  was  rather  rash  to  come  up  in  the  dark.' 

'  Maybe  it  war,'  admitted  Ephraim ;  '  but  ef  we  'd 
tried  ter  start  in  the  daytime,  we  'd  never  hev  come 
up  at  all.' 

'  We  should  have  been  stopped,  sure  enough,'  assented 
Lucius,  who  with  the  absence  of  motion  on  the  part 
of  the  balloon  had  lost  most  of  the  fear  which  had 
possessed  him  at  the  start.  'All  the  same,  I  think 
we  might  as  well  have  w^aited  for  the  dawn.' 

'  I  don't  suppose  thar  's  much  risk  er  a  collision  up 
hyar,'  said  Ephraim  quaintly.     '  I  'magine  we  've  got 


THE    BALLOON    COMES    DOWN.  53 

the  sky  pretty  much  ter  ourselves.  But  ye  won't  hev 
long  ter  wait  fer  dawn  on  a  June  night ;  and  mean- 
time, ef  we  watch  the  valve  we  '11  hev  no  trouble.' 

'  That  brings  us  down  ?'  said  Lucius. 

'  Ezacly.  It 's  all  jest  ez  easy  ez  fallin'  off  'n  a  log, 
this  yer  balloonin'.  When  we  want  ter  git  up,  ye 
chuck  out  a  bag  of  ballast,  and  when  ye  want  ter 
come  down,  ye  pull  the  valve  cord  and  let  out  a  smart 
lump  of  gas.     That 's  about  the  lot  of  it.' 

'When  we  get  back  to  Staunton,'  advised  Lucius, 
*  you  ought  to  turn  professional.' 

'Professional  w^hat?'  inquired  Ephraim,  who  was 
busy  setting  things  to  rights  in  the  car  by  the  light 
of  the  lantern. 

'  Why,  professional — what  d'  ye  call  him  ?  The  man 
who  goes  up  in  balloons.' 

'  Airy-nort ! '  shouted  Ephraim  joyously.  '  By  time  ! 
Luce,  thet's  a  perfectly  grand  idee.  So  I  will.  I'll 
turn  airy-nort  and  take  folks  up  and  down  fer  five 
dollars  the  trip.  Luce,  I'm  obleeged  ter  ye  fer  thet 
idee.     I  p'intedly  am.' 

'If  it  helps  you  to  get  back  your  pile,  I  shall  be 
very  glad,'  said  Lucius  rather  sadly.  '  I  'm  sure  I  '11 
be  very  willing  to  act  as  conductor,  and  rush  around 
and  get  passengers  for  you.' 

'  Shucks  ! '  observed  Ephraim.  '  Who 's  thinkin'  of 
the  pile  ? ' 

'  I  am,'  said  Lucius,  '  and  shall  never  cease  to  think 
of  it  until  I  have  made  it  up  to  you  in  some  way.  I 
really  do  believe  that  aeronaut  notion  is  a  good  one.' 

'It  is  thet,'  affirmed  Ephraim  with  conviction,  'and 
I  '11  fix  it  up  too ;   you  see  ef  I  don't.' 

'  I  suppose  you  know  that  you  are  still  holding  the 


54  THE    BALLOON    COMES   DOWN. 

valve  cord,'  said  Lucius.  '  How  are  we  to  get  up 
again  if  you  let  out  all  the  gas  ?' 

'  By  time  !  I  forgot,'  exclaimed  Ephraim,  releasing 
the  cord.  '  I  'low  thar  's  more  in  this  yer  airy-nortin' 
than  I  thort  thar  war.  We  're  about  steady  now,'  he 
went  on,  throwing  out  some  more  paper  in  the  stream 
of  lamplight;  'but  of  co'se  I  dunno  whar  we  air;  fer 
I  han't  no  notion  how  fast  or  how  slow  old  Blue  Bao- 
kin  travel.' 

'  Well,  there 's  not  much  wind,'  said  Lucius,  '  so  I 
don't  suppose  we  have  gone  very  far.  It  would  be 
rather  a  joke  if  we  found  ourselves  standing  still  over 
Staunton,  wouldn't  it?' 

'It  would  thet!'  grinned  Ephraim,  '  or,  better  still, 
ef  we  went  hoverin'  over  the  Yanks  jest  ez  they  war 
gittin'  their  breakfasts.' 

'  By  the  way,  where  do  you  expect  to  get  to  ?' 
inquired  Lucius.  '  I  suppose  you  thought  it  all  out 
before  we  started  ?' 

'  Waal,  I  kinder  did,  ez  fur  ez  might  be,'  replied 
Ephraim,  'though  sutt'nly  it  war  like  enuff  ter 
wanderin'  blindfold  through  a  wood ;  but  I  knew  jest 
ez  well  ez  everybody  else  thet  old  Stonewall  war 
gobblin'  up  the  Yanks  somewhar  in  the  valley,  and  I 
'lowed  we  wouldn't  git  much  beyond  Winchester 
'thout  lightin'  on  his  trail.' 

'  Winchester  !     All  that  long  way  oft"!' 

'  Oh,  come.  It  ain't  so  very  fur  ez  all  thet  comes  to, 
and  besides,  ye  air  carried  free,  gratis,  and  fur  nuthin'. 
'Tisn't  ez  ef  ye  war  asked  ter  walk.' 

'That's  all  very  well;  but  supposing  the  wind 
changes,  or  has  changed,  and  blows  us  to  goodness 
knows    where.      What    are    you    going    to    do    then  ? 


THE    BALLOON    COMES    DOWN.  55 

Will  there  be  enough  gas  left  to  bring  us  back 
again  ?' 

'  Oh  !  I  reckon  yes,'  answered  Ephraim  rather  un- 
comfortably, for  this  was  a  point  which  he  had  left 
unconsidered.  '  But  it  don't  matter  much  after  all. 
It  wouldn't  be  such  a  trial  ez  all  thet  ter  do  it  on 
foot !' 

'  I  shouldn't  mind,'  assented  Lucius.  '  I  suppose  we 
could  find  our  way,  and  as  to  food — why.  Grizzly,  did 
you  bring  any  with  you  ?     I  never  remembered  it.' 

'  Thet 's  all  right,'  said  Ephraim,  relieved  at  the  turn 
given  to  the  conversation ;  '  ye  '11  find  plenty  in  this 
bag — bread  and  meat  and  milk — and  ef  ye  're  hungry, 
why,  ye  'd  better  pitch  in.' 

'  I  don't  mind  if  I  do,'  laughed  Lucius,  '  though,  to 
be  sure,  it  is  rather  early  for  breakfast.  Oh,  Grizzly,' 
he  went  on,  munching  the  viands,  '  I  was  in  a  horrible 
fright  when  we  first  started.  I  was  in  two  minds 
about  stepping  out  of  the  car,  when  old  Blue  Bag,  as 
you  seem  to  have  named  the  balloon,  shot  up  to  the 
length  of  the  rope,  and  then  of  course  I  was  done 
for/ 

'  Ye  war,'  chuckled  Ephraim,  following  suit  with  the 
provisions  ;  '  but  now  ye  see  it 's  jest  the  nicest  kind 
er  travellin'  ever  invented.  I  'low  I  warn't  quite  sure 
myself  how  it  would  be  when  fust  w^e  started,  but  I 
wouldn't  ask  nuthin'  better  than  this.  Wait  till 
mornin'  comes  and  we  '11  show  our  flag.' 

'  Flag !'  echoed  Lucius.  '  Have  you  brought  a 
flag?' 

'Rayther!'  said  Ephraim  ;  'a  proper  one,  too — stars 
and  bars  and  all.  I  didn't  want  our  boys  ter  fire  on 
us  ye  know,  sposin'  we  came  too  close  to  the  ground.' 


56  THE    BALLOON    COMES    DOWN. 

'  But  the  Yanks  will  fire  on  us  if  they  see  the  flag,' 
argued  Lucius. 

'  By  time  !  I  never  thort  er  thet,'  confessed  Ephraini 
with  humility.  His  reasoning  was  not  infrequently 
like  that  of  Sir  Isaac  Newton  with  regard  to  his  cat 
and  her  kitten.  '  Waal,  never  mind,  we  '11  do  without 
the  flag.  And  ez  ter  shootin','  he  muttered  under  his 
breath,  '  ef  it  comes  ter  thet,  I  reckon  we  kin  stand 
a  siege.' 

Lucius  did  not  hear  this  remark,  and  in  response  to 
his  request  for  its  repetition.  Grizzly  merely  asserted 
that  it  didn't  matter. 

Providence  was  kind  to  the  two  lads  in  their 
ignorance,  and  for  a  couple  of  hours  they  floated 
peacefully  along,  sublimely  unconscious  of  the  dangers 
to  which  they  were  exposed,  and  chatting,  with  boyish 
disregard  of  the  awfulness  of  the  theme,  over  their 
chances  of  witnessing  the  most  horrible  sight  in 
nature — men  struggling  together  in  bloody  strife,  like 
savage  beasts  of  prey. 

Then  suddenly  a  red  light  flared  up  in  the  east, 
and  Ephraim  exclaimed  cheerfully  :  '  Thar  comes  the 
mornin'.     We  '11  soon  larn  our  wharabouts  now.' 

But,  even  as  he  said  the  words,  the  fires  of  day  were 
extinguished,  a  wet  veil  enveloped  the  balloon,  which 
heeled  over  as  a  blast  of  bitter  cold  wind  rushed 
shrieking  through  the  cordage.  A  long,  jagged  stream 
of  blinding  light  rent  the  cloud-bank  into  which  they 
had  entered,  while,  almost  simultaneously,  a  stunning 
thunder  roll  reverberated  all  around  them. 

'  Oh !'  shrieked  Lucius,  burying  his  face  in  his 
hands.  '  How  awful !  Let  us  go  down.  Quick ! 
quick  !     The  balloon  will  burst.' 


THE    BALLOON    COMES    DOWN.  57 

'We  can't !'  gasped  Ephraim,  also  temporarily  out  of 
his  senses  with  fright.  '  I  've  lost  my  grip  of  the  valve 
cord.' 

It  was  true.  Not  expecting  such  a  contretemps,  he 
had  neglected  to  secure  the  valve  cord,  which  at  the 
first  lurch  of  the  balloon  had  swung  through  the 
cordage,  and  now  dangled  out  of  reach  and  invisible 
in  the  darkness. 

Meanwhile  the  thunder  roared  and  crackled,  and  the 
lightning  blazed  about  them,  and  the  balloon,  driven 
this  way  and  that  by  contrary  currents  of  wind, 
swung  from  side  to  side,  staggering  back  to  the  per- 
pendicular ;  while  the  frail  car,  falling  with  each  lurch 
and  recovery  to  the  utmost  limit  of  the  binding  ropes, 
shook  and  whirled  and  bumped  its  miserable  occupants 
till  they  were  actually  sick  with  terror  and  physical 
discomfort. 

'  Oh  !  oh  1'  moaned  Lucius.  '  I  shall  die  !  Oh  !  why 
did  I  ever  come  ?  I  shall  be  killed  !  Oh  !  if  it  were 
only  not  so  very  dark  !' 

Suddenly  there  was  a  shout  from  Ephraim.  Lucius 
knew  in  a  dim  unconscious  way  that  he  had  risen  to 
his  feet  and  was  leanino-  over  the  car  during  a  tem- 
porary  lull  in  the  mad  gyrations  of  the  balloon,  and  in 
a  few  moments  more  old  Blue  Bag,  bursting  grandly 
through  the  storm,  soared  peacefully  amid  tranquil 
skies  into  the  broad  light  of  day. 

'By  time!'  ejaculated  Ephraim,  wiping  the  sweat 
from  his  face,  which  was  deadly  pale.  '  Thet  war  on'y 
jest  in  time.  Thet  war  none  too  soon.  What  an  or'nery 
skunk  I  must  hev  been  ter  fero-it  it.' 

'  What  did  you  do  ?'  chattered  Lucius,  still  in  deadly 
terror. 


58  THE    BALLOON    COMES    DOWN. 

'  Why,  hove  out  a  big  lump  er  ballast,  er  co'se/ 
returned  Ephraini,  who  was  fast  getting  his  quivering 
nerves  under  control  again.  'And  I  do  hope  it'll  fall 
plump  on  one  er  tliem  pesky  Yanks  and  knock  the 
nat'al  stuffin'  out  er  him. — Don't  ye  take  on  so,  Luce. 
I  'low  it  war  awful  while  et  lasted — awful ;  but  we  're 
all  right  now.  Old  Blue  Bag  don't  set  me  back  again, 
I  tell  ye.' 

Lucius  cast  one  despairing  look  upwards. 

'  Right !'  he  groaned.  *  Can't  you  see  that  we  're 
going  up  and  up,  and  we  '11  never  come  down  again 
until  the  balloon  has  been  shivered  into  atoms.  You  've 
lost  the  cord.' 

Ephraim  followed  the  glance.  Matters  were  cer- 
tainly about  as  bad  as  they  could  be.  The  valve  cord, 
tangled  in  the  rigging  of  the  balloon,  lay  twisted 
far  up  on  the  side  of  the  latter,  absolutely  out  of 
reach. 

'Umph!'  grunted  Ephraim.  'Waal,  it's  a  mercy 
thar  's  more  ways  than  one.  I  '11  make  a  hole  in  her 
side.' 

He  pulled  out  his  clasp-knife,  and  with  a  sigh  for 
the  dire  necessity  of  it,  prepared  to  stab  the  child 
of  his  invention.  But,  as  he  stood  at  the  edge  of 
the  car,  his  fingers,  numbed  with  cold  and  wet, 
lost  grip  of  the  knife  in  their  efforts  to  open  the 
strong  blade,  and  with  a  silence  more  eloquent  than 
the  loudest  crash,  it  slipjjed  down  into  the  cloud 
depths  below. 

A  cry  of  horror  broke  from  Lucius  as  what  seemed 
to  him  their  only  means  of  salvation  disappeared,  but 
Ephraim  shouted  loudly  :  '  Lend  us  yourn,  quick  !  It 's 
gettin'  ez  cold  ez  a  iceberg.     Smart,  sonny  !' 


THE    BALLOON    COMES    DOWN.  59 

'  I  haven't  got  it,'  whimpered  Lucius.  '  I  put  it  out 
to  bring,  but  I  forgot  it.  Oh !  oh  !  oh  !  I  shall  be 
killed  !  I  shall  be  killed  !'  He  flung  himself  upon  the 
floor  of  the  car,  grovelling  abjectly  in  the  desolation 
of  his  spirit. 

Another  nature  might  have  upbraided  Lucius  and 
reminded  him  that  the  danger  w^as  at  least  equal  for 
both  of  them,  and  that  his  was  not  the  only  life  at 
stake.  Not  so  the  old  Grizzly.  He  stooped  down,  and 
patting  the  cowering  boy  on  the  shoulder,  said  in 
strong,  tender  voice,  in  which  lurked  no  perceptible 
note  of  anxiety  :  '  What,  Luce  !  'Tain't  your  par's  son 
ter  be  kyar'in'  on  like  thet.  Stand  up  now — thar's  a 
lamb — and  be  ready  ter  ketch  hold  on  thet  cord  ez  I 
sling  her  in.' 

'  What  are  you  going  to  do  V  Lucius  would  have 
said,  but  the  words  froze  upon  his  lips,  and  with  eyes 
that  bulged  with  terror  he  watched  his  intrepid  friend, 
who  had  kicked  off  his  boots,  and  with  an  ashen  face, 
but  steely  eyes  and  hard-set  lips,  climbed  upon  the  rim 
of  the  car  and  grasped  the  mass  of  cordage  above  his 
head. 

For  a  moment  Lucius  felt  inclined  to  faint,  but  by 
a  violent  eftbrt  he  collected  his  scattered  wits,  and 
shaking  like  an  aspen  leaf,  leaned  with  outstretched 
hand  against  the  side  of  the  car. 

Truly  it  was  a  fearful  sight.  As  Ephraim,  his  feet 
twined  among  the  cordage,  slowly  mounted  towards 
the  network,  the  balloon,  drawn  by  his  weight,  careened 
over,  so  that  he  hung  sideways — above  him  the  illimit- 
able blue — below,  thousands  of  feet  below  him,  the 
earth  he  has  so  rashly  left.  Lucius  shut  his  eyes,  and 
his  brain   reeled  with   the   horror  of   the  thing;    but 


60  THE    BALLOON    COMES    DOWN. 

brave  old  Grizzly  never  faltered,  never  hesitated,  only- 
mounted  inch  by  inch  to  where  the  valve  cord  rested 
on  the  bellying  curve  of  the  balloon. 

At  last  he  reached  it,  and  freeing  it  swiftly,  sent  it 
inwards  with  a  turn  of  the  wrist.  As  one  in  a  dream, 
Lucius  saw  it  waving  towards  him,  opened  and  shut 
his  hand  mechanically,  caught  it,  and  pulled  with  all 
his  might. 

'Hold  on''  roared  Ephraim,  scrambling  once  more 
into  the  car.  'Don't  ye  lug  like  thet.  Ye '11  hev  the 
whole  gimbang  ter  bits,  and  we  '11  go  whirlin'  down 
quicker  'n  we  came  up.' 

He  gently  took  the  cord  from  Luce's  trembling  hand 
and  made  it  fast.  '  Thar,'  he  said,  '  I  reckon  we  've 
about  exhausted  the  possibilities  fer  a  spell.  We'll 
take  a  rest,  now,  thank  ye. — Hello !'  For  as  he  turned, 
Lucius  flung  his  arms  about  him. 

'  Oh,  you  dear,  brave  old  Grizzly,'  sobbed  the  over- 
wrought boy.  '  You  've  saved  my  life.  Oh !  How 
could  you  go  up  there  in  that  dreadful  place  ?' 

The  colour  rushed  back  to  Ephraim's  face  in  a  great 
wave,  and  while  he  satisfied  himself  by  a  look  that 
the  balloon  was  falling,  he  fondled  and  soothed  the 
boy  by  his  side  as  a  mother  might  have  done. 

'  Thar  now.  Luce  ;  thar  now,'  he  said  tenderly,  '  don't 
take  on  no  more.  Shucks !  It  warn't  nuthin',  now 
it 's  over.  We  're  going  down  now.  Steady,  bub, 
steady;  we  're  jist  gittin'  ter  thet  bank  of  storm-clouds. 
Thar ' — drawing  Lucius  close  to  him,  as  the  boy 
shivered  with  apprehension — '  now  we  're  through  that 
lot,  and  none  the  worse  er  it.  Look,  Luce,  look — thar 's 
old  Mother  Earth.  BuUee !  Reckon  ye  '11  prefer  to 
stay  down  wanst  ye  git  thar.' 


THE    BALLOON    COMES    DOWN.  63 

'  Oh,  yes,'  sobbed  Lucius.  '  We  '11  get  home  somehow, 
but  not  in  this  awful  balloon.' 

Old  Blue  Bag  was  now  rapidly  nearing  the  earth, 
and  had  the  boys  had  the  heart  to  consider  it,  a  won- 
derful panorama  lay  stretched  out  below  them.  But 
earth  in  their  regard  held  but  one  joy  just  then — it 
was  a  resting-place,  a  sure  haven  of  safety,  and  for  its 
beauties  they  had  no  eye.  With  one  hand  on  the 
valve  cord,'  and  holding  a  bag  of  ballast  in  the  other, 
Ephraim  regulated  their  descent.  The  grapnel  was 
out,  and  as  the  balloon  slowly  sank,  dragged  through 
the  tops  of  the  trees  in  a  thick  wood.  Now  they  were 
past  this,  and  floating  over  open  spaces  again.  The 
grapnel  swept  along  the  ground,  caught  under  the  bole 
of  a  fallen  tree — and  they  were  safe. 

'Whoop!'  screeched  Ephraim,  flinging  out  a  rope. 
'  I  reckon  we  've  got  thar.     Over  ye  go,  Luce.' 

Lucius  did  not  wait  to  be  told  twice.  He  simply 
flung  himself  upon  the  rope,  and  scrambling  down, 
sank  in  a  confused  heap  upon  the  ground.  Ephraim 
followed  quickly,  saw  that  the  balloon  was  fast  and 
secure,  and  was  just  bending  anxiously  over  his  com- 
panion, when  a  sudden  sound  caused  him  to  look  up. 

From  all  directions  men  in  blue  uniforms,  and  guns 
with  bayonets  fixed  in  their  hands,  were  running 
towards  them. 

'  Gloryful  gracious  !'  murmured  Ephraim,  straighten- 
ing up.  *  Ef  thet  ain't  the  peskiest  kind  er  luck. 
We  've  been  and  tumbled  right  inter  a  nest  er  Yanks  !' 


CHAPTER    V. 


coolly, 


A   FIRE-EATING   COLONEL. 

URRENDER !  You're  our  prisoner!'  cried 
several  of  the  soldiers,  running  up  and  pre- 
senting their  bayonets  at  Ephraim's  chest. 

'  Waal,  I  ain't  denyin'  it,'  said  Ephraiin 
'  Reckon  I  kin  master  thet  fact  'thout  ye 
drivin'  it  inter  me  with  them  nasty  spikes.  Take  'em 
away.' 

The  men  laughed,  and  most  of  them  dropped  the 
points  of  their  weapons  ;  but  an  officer,  who  just  then 
came  up,  demanded  roughly :  '  Who  are  you  ?  How 
and  why  do  you  come  here  ?' 

Ephraim  considered  the  speaker  earnestly  before 
replying,  and  in  that  moment  took  his  measure  accu- 
rately. 'He's  a  hard  un,'  thought  Grizzly.  'He'll 
make  things  hum  fer  us  ef  he  gits  his  way,'  Aloud  he 
said,  pointing  to  the  balloon :  '  Ye  see  how  we  came  ; 
and  ez  fer  why  we  came,  it  war  because  we  couldn't 
help  it.' 

'  None  of  your  insolence,'  said  the  officer  threaten- 
ingly.    '  What  do  you  mean  by  you  couldn't  help  it  ?' 

'Jest  what  I  sez,'  returned  Ephraim,  'and  I  hadn't 
no  idee  of  bein'  insolent  nuther.     Ye  don't  'masfine  we 


A    FIRE-EATING   COLONEL.  65 

came  fer  the  pleasure  er  bein'  took  prisoner. — I  won't 
rile  him  willin','  he  added  within  himself. 

'  Will  we  haul  down  this  yer  balloon,  cnnnel,  and 
see  if  she  carries  anything  ?'  asked  a  sergeant  at  this 
stage. 

The  colonel  nodded.  '  Now  then,  you  fellow,'  he 
said  to  Ephraim  in  a  bullying  tone,  '  tell  me  instantly 
what  brought  you  here  ?' 

'  The  balloon,'  replied  Ephraim  without  a  pause. 

'Don't  humbug  me,'  foamed  the  colonel ;  'I  see  your 
dodge  plainly  enough.  You  are  trying  to  gain  time  in 
order  to  invent  a  lie  of  some  sort.  But  I  'd  have  you 
know  I  'm  master  here,  and  I  '11  have  the  truth  out  of 
you  before  I  'm  done  with  you.' 

'  Ez  fur  ez  that  goes,'  began  Ephraim,  when  a  voice 
at  his  elbow  said  in  clear,  distinct  tones  :  '  It  is  you  who 
are  insolent.     Southern  gentlemen  do  not  lie.' 

Ephraim  started.  He  had  taken  all  the  colonel's 
remarks  as  addressed  to  himself,  supposing  that  Lucius 
was  still  lying  on  the  ground  behind  him.  But,  un- 
known to  his  friend,  the  younger  boy  had  risen  on  the 
approach  of  the  colonel,  and  taken  his  stand  at  Grizzly's 
side.  To  give  way  when  surrounded  by  dangers  of 
such  a  novel  and  unimagined  order  as  those  from 
which  he  had  just  escaped  was  one  thing ;  but  with 
his  feet  once  more  on  terra  firinia,  Luce's  courage 
returned,  and,  if  he  felt  any  uneasiness  at  the  pre- 
dicament they  were  in,  he  certainly  did  not  intend  to 
betray  it  before  the  enemies  he  had  been  taught  to 
despise  as  well  as  to  detest.  Therefore,  in  a  very 
emphatic  manner  he  delivered  himself  of  the  remark 
just  quoted. 

Ephraim  turned  and  looked  at  Lucius.  The  boy 
E 


66  A   FIRE-EATING   COLONEL. 

was  standing  in  an  easy  attitude,  a  slight  flush  upon 
his  cheeks,  and  a  defiant  light  in  his  eyes.  All  trace 
of  his  recent  emotion  was  gone ;  and  as  he  stood  firmly 
planted — his  shoulders  squared,  his  well-knit,  youthful 
figure  gracefully  poised — his  whole  bearing  formed 
such  a  contrast  to  that  of  the  red-faced,  swaggering 
bully  whom  he  faced,  that  Ephraim  could  not  repress 
a  cry  of  admiration. 

The  poor  Grizzly  had  suflfered  a  good  deal  in  the  last 
half-hour.  The  fright  of  Lucius  in  the  balloon  he 
could  understand,  for  he  had  been  thoroughly  frightened 
himself ;  but  the  utter  collapse  of  his  hero  was  beyond 
him.  Not  only  had  he  known  Lucius  heretofore  as  a 
sturdy,  manly  boy,  but  he  had  always  set  him  upon  a 
pinnacle  above  every  one  else  in  the  world,  and  wor- 
shipped him  as  a  superior  being,  endowed  with  every 
grace  and  virtue  under  the  sun.  Therefore,  when 
mastering  his  own  fears,  he  had  boldly  faced  a  terrible 
danger  and  overcome  it  by  his  presence  of  mind,  the 
abject,  grovelling  cowardice  of  Lucius  had  come  upon 
him  with  a  painful  shock.  He  had  caught  a  glimpse 
of  the  feet  of  his  idol,  and,  lo  !  they  were  of  clay.  But 
he  covered  them  reverently  up,  hunailiated  rather  than 
proud  that  the  accident  of  opportunit}^  should  have 
lifted  him  so  high,  and  loyally  making  all  manner  of 
excuses  for  his  comrade's  conduct.  All  the  same,  he 
had  felt  very  miserable  over  it ;  but  now,  when  he 
heard  the  ringing  scornful  voice,  and  noted  how  fear- 
lessly Lucius  faced  the  colonel,  all  his  pain  fled,  his 
doubts  were  swallowed  up,  and  a  great  wave  of  joy 
flooded  his  honest  heart.  He  had  been  right  after  all 
— his  hero  was  his  hero  still,  and  gold  from  crown  to 
heel. 


A   FIRE-EATING   COLONEL.  67 

'  Whoop  !'  he  shouted  in  his  delight.  '  Air  ye  thar, 
Luce  ?  I  didn't  see  ez  ye  riz  up  ;  but  I  might  hev 
known  ye  wouldn't  be  behind  when  ye  orter  be  in 
front.  Thet  's  the  way  ter  talk  ter  him. — A  Southern 
gentleman  don't  lie,  mister ;  thet 's  what  he  said. 
By  time  !   ho  !  ho  !  ho  !' 

'Silence,  you  dog?'  vociferated  the  enraged  Federal, 
his  dark  face  aflame  with  passion,  while  at  the  same 
time  he  menaced  Ephraim  with  his  revolver.  '  I  '11 
blow  your  brains  out  if  you  say  another  word.' 

*  Ez  ter  thet,'  retorted  Ephraim,  his  new-born  joy 
overcoming  his  prudence,  *  I  han't  been  doin'  the  high 
trapeze  a  thousand  miles  up  in  the  sky  ter  be  skeert 
the  moment  I  come  down  by  a  pesky,  bunkum  Yank, 
sech  ez  I  jedge  ye  ter  be.' 

The  colonel  ground  his  teeth  with  rage,  but  before 
he  could  reply,  Lucius  pushed  Ephraim  unceremoniously 
to  one  side. 

'  Shut  up,  Grizzly,'  he  said  ;  '  I  '11  do  the  talking. — 
I  '11  tell  you  the  truth,  if  you  care  to  listen  to  it,'  he 
added  to  the  colonel. 

'Tell  it  then,  and  be  quick  about  it,'  said  the  latter, 
casting  a  furious  glance  at  Ephraim.  '  And  talk  more 
civilly  than  that  low  hound  there,  or  it  will  be  the 
worse  for  you.' 

Ephraim  opened  his  mouth,  but  Lucius  silenced  him 
with  a  look,  and  answered  quietly : 

'  We  left  Staunton  early  this  morning  in  our  balloon. 
We  only  intended  to  have  some  fun ;  but  we  were 
nearly  killed  up  there  ' — he  pointed  to  the  sky — '  and 
were  glad  enough  to  descend  anywhere.  We  had  no 
idea  but  what  we  were  close  home.  Certainly,  if  we  'd 
thought  your  army  was  anywhere  around,  we  wouldn't 


68  A   FIRE-EATING  COLONEL. 

have  been  fools  enough  to  drop  right  into  the  middle 
of  it.     That 's  all.' 

The  Federal  colonel  looked  darkly  at  him. 

'  That 's  all,  is  it  ? '  he  sneered.  '  A  likely  story. 
I  '11  see  for  myself.'  He  turned  and  walked  to  the 
balloon,  round  which  the  sergeant  and  half  a  dozen 
men  were  grouped,  having  hauled  it  down  and  secured 
it  firmly  to  the  log.  '  What  have  you  found  here,  ser- 
geant?' he  demanded. 

The  sergeant  saluted,  and  pointed  silently  to  a  small 
heap  of  articles  which  had  been  taken  out  of  the  car 
and  laid  upon  the  ground.  There  were  some  bread 
and  meat,  a  bottle  of  milk  and  another  of  water,  a 
telescope,  a  revolver  and  a  box  of  cartridges,  a  small 
gun — the  same  which  Ephraim  had  been  engaged  in 
makinsf  when  the  war  broke  out — two  baofs  with 
powder  and  shot,  and,  most  compromising  of  all,  the 
tiny  rebel  flag  with  its  stars  and  bars,  within  the  folds 
of  which  was  concealed  a  drawing  block  fitted  with  a 
lead  pencil. 

Lucius  stared  in  astonishment  as  his  eyes  fell  upon 
this  collection,  of  the  existence  of  which — save  for  the 
flag — he  had  till  then  been  unaware ;  for  at  first  the 
darkness  had  concealed  them  from  him,  and  afterwards, 
when  day  dawned,  his  terror  had  been  too  great 
and  absorbing  to  allow  him  to  notice  anything.  Mutely 
questioning,  he  looked  at  Ephraim,  who,  vaguely  con- 
scious of  coming  trouble,  muttered  hastily  :  '  It 's  all 
right.  Luce.  I  put  'em  thar.  I  '11  tell  him  wanst  I 
git  the  chance.' 

'  Be  quiet,'  answered  Lucius  in  the  same  low  tone, 
'  Let  me  speak.' 

'Stop  that  whispering,'  cried    the    colonel,    coming 


A   FIRE-EATING   COLONEL.  69 

back.  'You  came  out  for  fun,  I  think  you  said,'  he 
went  on  with  an  ugly  grin  on  his  face,  '  in  a  balloon, 
too,  and  in  time  of  war.  May  I  ask,  then,  to  what  use 
you  intended  to  put  this  armament — and  this?'  He 
held  up  the  sketching  block. 

Lucius  was  silent,  not  knowing,  indeed,  what  to 
answer,  for  the  full  significance  of  the  last  article  had 
not  yet  dawned  upon  him. 

'  A  Southern  gentleman  does  not  lie,'  mimicked  the 
colonel,  a  baleful  light  in  his  eyes.  '  You  do  well  to  be 
silent,  you  couple  of  rascally  spies.' 

Lucius  started  violently.  'What!'  he  ejaculated  in 
profound  astonishment.     '  Spies  ! ' 

'Ahl'said  the  colonel,'!  thought  I  should  corner 
you. — Search  them,'  he  added  to  the  sergeant. 

Nothing  but  a  few  odds  and  ends  such  as  any  boy 
might  carry  were  found  upon  Lucius,  but  from 
Ephraim's  pocket  was  drawn  a  piece  of  paper  on 
which  he  had  scribbled  a  i^recis  of  the  news  which  had 
reached  Staunton  during  the  last  three  weeks,  and  also 
a  road  map  of  the  valley,  which  he  had  brought  with 
him  in  order  that  they  might  have  some  indication  of 
their  whereabouts  if  they  were  forced  to  descend  in  an 
out-of-the-way  place. 

'Ha!'  exclaimed  the  colonel,  when  these  were 
brought  to  light.  '  A  precious  pair  of  jokers. — Now, 
will  you  persist  in  your  denial,  my  fine  young  Southern 
— gentleman  ?'  He  laid  a  sneering  emphasis  upon  the 
last  word. 

'  I  haven't  denied  anything  yet,'  returned  Lucius. 
'  I  've  never  had  the  chance.  I  tell  you  we  are  a  couple 
of  boys  out  for  a  spree,  and  that 's  all.' 

'  You  'II  find  it  a  precious  unpleasant  spree  before  I 


70  A    FIRE- EATING   COLONEL. 

get  through  with  you,'  said  the  colonel.  '  You  may  be 
a  boy,'  he  added  dubiously,  as  though  the  fact  were  not 
self-evident ;  '  but  I  'd  like  to  know  what  you  call 
hiin.'     He  glanced  malevolently  at  Ephraiui. 

'  He 's  only  nineteen,'  answered  Lucius,  earnestly 
wishing  that  Grizzly  had  followed  his  oft-repeated 
advice,  and  razed  the  compromising  indications  of 
manhood  from  his  face. 

'  What ! '  scoffed  the  colonel.  '  Nineteen  do  you  call 
him,  with  a  monkey  face  like  that  ?' 

'  Shave  him,  then,  and  you  '11  see,'  answered  Lucius, 
at  which  remark  the  soldiers  roared,  though  the  boy 
was  perfectly  serious. 

'  Silence  ! '  commanded  the  colonel,  going  on  to  ob- 
serve caustically  :  '  Since  when  have  the  rebels — I  beg 
your  pardon ;  I  have  no  doubt  that  a  Southern  gentle- 
man would  prefer  that  I  should  speak  of  Confederates — 
since  when,  then,  have  the  Confederates  employed  boj^s 
to  ascertain  the  movements  of  the  National  troops  ? ' 

The  insolence  of  his  tone  fired  Luce's  blood,  and  he 
answered  scornfully  :  '  I  do  not  know.  Perhaps  if  you 
had  not  been  so  busy  running  away  from  them  for  the 
last  three  weeks,  you  might  have  been  able  to  discover 
for  yourself.' 

Now,  a  more  unfortunate  remark  Lucius  could  not 
just  then  have  made  ;  for  it  so  happened  that  in  the 
series  of  retrograde  movements  in  which  the  Federals 
had  lately  been  indulging  in  consequence  of  Jackson's 
smashing  flank  attacks,  the  colonel  had  taken  a  some- 
what too  prominent  part.  Indeed  in  the  last  rnelee, 
while  gallantly  leading  his  men  out  of  action — very  far 
ahead  of  them — he  had  somehow  become  separated 
from  his  command,  and  when  the  balloon  descended, 


A   FIRE-EATING    COLONEL.  71 

had  been  making  his  way  back  to  the  Federal  lines 
along  with  a  number  of  stragglers,  whom  he  had  picked 
up  en  route.  So  now,  when  Lucius,  amid  the  sup- 
pressed laughter  of  the  men,  made  his  ill-timed  obser- 
vation, the  doughty  warrior's  feelings  overflowed,  and 
his  fury  knew  no  bounds. 

'  I  '11  teach  you  to  insult  your  betters,  you  rebel 
scum,'  he  shouted.  '  I  heard  of  a  balloon  having  been 
lost  from  our  lines  on  the  Potomac.  That 's  it,  I  '11 
take  my  oath.  You  've  stolen  it  for  your  poverty- 
stricken,  rascally,  rebel  friends.  That 's  what  you  've 
done.' 

'  We  didn  't,'  protested  Lucius,  edging  in  a  word.  '  He 
made  it.'     He  indicated  Ephraim. 

'  Did  he  ? '  stormed  the  colonel.  '  Where  did  he  learn 
to  make  balloons,  the  hairy -faced  baboon  ?  Anyhow, 
if  you  did  or  if  you  didn't  steal  it,  I  've  proof  enough 
of  your  object,  and  I  '11  show  you  how  to  dance  upon 
nothing.  Cut  a  couple  of  ropes  from  that  balloon  and 
string  these  cubs  up  to  a  tree !'  he  shouted  to  the  men. 

Lucius  paled  swiftly,  but  the  colour  rushed  back 
again  into  his  face  at  once,  and  he  stood  with  folded 
arms,  scornfully  fronting  the  colonel.  Ephraim,  how- 
ever, took  a  step  forward. 

'  Ye  dassn't  do  it,  ye  dirty  fire-eater,'  he  cried.  '  Ye 
dassn't  do  it,  "thout  'n  a  trial  or  nuthin'.  Take  us  ter 
the  ginrul,  boys  ;  he  '11  hear  what  we  've  got  ter  say.' 

'  String  them  up,  I  say,'  roared  the  colonel,  more 
incensed  than  ever  at  this  defiance.  '  String  them  up, 
and  be  sharp  about  it.  I  '11  let  you  know,'  he  ground 
out  at  Lucius,  '  how  the  gentlemen  of  the  North  treat 
the  gentlemen  of  the  South  when  they  catch  them 
acting  as  pestilential  spies.' 


73  A   FIRE-EATING   COLONEL. 

'  I  should  think  it 's  precious  little  you  know  of 
gentlemen  anywhere,'  Lucius  answered  boldly  back. 
'  I  've  seen  a  good  many  Northerners,  and  they  are  brave 
men,  if  they  are  fighting  an  unjust  war.  But  what 
you  were  before  they  let  you  put  on  a  uniform,  I  don't 
know  ;  though  it  wouldn't  be  hard  to  guess  from  the 
look  of  you.     Why,  your  men  are  ashamed  of  you.' 

Two  of  the  men  moved  slowly  towards  the  balloon. 
The  boy's  courage  appealed  to  them.  They  were 
soldiers,  and  brave  soldiers  too,  though  they  were 
smitten  with  a  panic  now  and  then  as  brave  soldiers 
have  been  before  and  since.  They  were  willing  enough 
to  fight,  but  not  to  soil  their  hands  with  such  a  horrid 
deed  as  this.  Therefore  they  moved  slowly  and  re- 
luctantly, hoping  for  a  reversal  of  the  order.  But 
Ephraim  changed  his  tone. 

'  See  hyar,'  he  said  submissively,  '  I  didn't  orter  hev 
spoke  ez  I  did.  I  beg  your  pardon.  Jest  ye  hear  me 
a  moment.' 

But  the  colonel  would  hear  nothing.  He  was  beside 
himself  with  wrath,  and  could  not  listen  to  reason. 
The  men  had  stopped  when  Ephraim  began  to  speak, 
and  now  their  commander  turned  furiously  upon  them. 

'  Why  don't  you  obey  orders  ? '  he  shouted  at  them. 
'  I  '11  have  you  shot  for  mutiny  if  you  stand  gaping 
there  much  longer.     Up  with  them,  I  say.' 

'  Gunnel ! '  shrieked  Ephraim  in  an  agony  of  unselfish 
fear.  '  Gunnel,  don't  do  it.  As  ye  're  a  Ghristian  man, 
don't  do  it.  Ye  may  string  me  up,  and  willin'.  I  'm  a 
outrageous  rebel.  I  'm  a  spy.  I  'm  whatever  you  like. 
I  came  ter  make  observations.  I  'm  a  spy,  I  tell  ye. 
Hang  me  up.  But  don't  you  tech  Luce.  He  ain't 
done  nuthin'.     He  on'y  came  because  I  told  him  I  wuz 


A   FIRE-EATING   COLONEL.  73 

goin'  fer  a  trip.  He  knows  nuthin' — he  's  done  niithin'. 
Let  him  go  !     Let  him  go  ! ' 

'  Pah !'  ejaculated  the  colonel.  '  Do  you  suppose  I 
don't  see  your  game  ?  You  can't  take  me  in  with 
your  heroics,  you  filthy  cur,  you.'  And  he  spurned 
Ephraim  with  his  foot. 

A  mist  swam  before  Luce's  eyes.  His  blood  boiled 
over,  and,  regardless  of  the  consequences,  he  rushed 
forward. 

'  You  lie !'  he  shouted.  '  It  is  for  me  he  wants  to  die. 
This  is  the  second  time  to-day.  Take  that  !'  and  be- 
fore the  astonished  colonel  could  comprehend  or  step 
aside,  the  infuriated  boy  struck  him  twice  sharply  in 
the  face. 

A  look  as  though  he  were  possessed  came  into  the 
colonel's  eyes,  and  his  fingers  closed  nervously  upon  his 
revolver  ;  but  ere  he  could  use  it,  if  indeed  it  were  his 
intention  to  do  so,  Ephraim  stooped  suddenly,  and 
catching  him  round  the  legs,  flung  him  sprawling  on  his 
back.  Then,  with  a  wild  yell  of  '  Run !  Luce,  run  !'  he 
rushed  for  the  shelter  of  the  woods. 

After  him  dashed  Lucius,  hard  upon  his  heels,  as  the 
colonel,  foaming  and  spluttering,  staggered  to  his  feet 
and  discharged  his  revolver  at  random. 

'  Follow  them  !'  he  roared.  And  the  men,  alarmed  at 
what  might  be  the  consequences  to  themselves  if  they 
refused,  hastened  in  pursuit.  But  they  had  no  heart 
for  the  game,  and  once  out  of  sight  among  the  trees, 
halted  or  scattered,  and  presently  the  fugitives,  doub- 
ling like  hares  in  and  out  of  the  dark  boles,  heard  the 
noise  of  following  footsteps  die  away,  and  sank, 
panting  and  exhausted,  on  the  mossy  carpet  beneath 
an  ao-ed  oak. 


CHAPTER    VI. 


A   FREE   BREAKFAST. 

'Y  time !'  gasped  Ephraim,  struggling  to 
recover  his  breath.  '  Thet  war  a  narrow 
|i^  squeak.  Hi !  Luce,  how  ye  plugged  him.' 
He  chuckled  gleefully. 

Lucius  only  nodded.  He  was  too  short  of  wind  to 
attempt  to  speak. 

'  If  I  'd  on'y  had  my  gun,  I  'd  hev  gin  him  ez  good 
ez  he  gin  me  and  better,'  went  on  Ephraim.  'D'ye 
reckon  he  war  in  'arnest,  Luce,  with  his  talk  about 
hangin',  or  war  it  on'y  jest  ter  skeer  us  'cause  we 
riled  him  ? ' 

'  Just — as — well — got — away — think  he — meant  it,' 
panted  Lucius,  still  breathless. 

'  Ah  !  waal,  maybe  he  did.  Sorter  knocks  out  one's 
belief  in  one's  feller-critters,  though,  runnin'  up  agin 
a  pestiferous  calamity  like  that  cunnel.  Howsumever, 
we  got  the  bulge  on  him,  we  did.  My  !  Luce,  ye  air  a 
man  right  down  ter  yer  boots  !' 

'  I  'm  a  miserable  coward,  that 's  what  I  am,'  said 
Lucius  passionately.  '  After  the  way  I  behaved  in  the 
balloon,  I  wonder  you  would  do  anything  for  me.'     He 


A    FREE    BREAKFAST.  75 

shuddered,  though,  as  he  spoke,  at  the  frightful 
reminiscence. 

'  Ez  ter  thet/  returned  Ephraim,  'nobody  could  say 
a  word  agin  ye  fer  bein'  sot  back.  'Twar  an  onusual 
kind  er  stomachful  fer  a  young  man  jest  out  fer  a 
picnic' 

'  That 's  all  very  well,'  lamented  Lucius,  '  but  I  dis- 
graced myself.     You  know  I  did.' 

'  Shucks  ! '  remarked  Ephraim.  '  Look  at  what  ye 
did  jest  now.  But  say,'  he  went  on,  wishful  to  close 
the  discussion,  '  we  can't  stay  here  after  what  that  red- 
faced  old  lump  er  mischief  said.' 

'What  did  he  say?'  inquired  Lucius.  'I  was  so 
busy  getting  away  that  I  'm  afraid  I  was  rude  enough 
not  to  pay  any  attention.' 

'  Same  here,'  grinned  Ephraim ;  '  but  I  heard  him 
'tween  whiles.  "  Foller  them  up,"  he  yells  ter  the 
soldiers.     "  Ye  '11  drive  'em  straight  inter  our  lines."  ' 

'  What  did  he  mean  by  that  ? '  asked  Lucius.  '  I 
should  have  thought  we  were  within  the  Yankee  lines 
when  we  were  taken  prisoners.' 

'  Waal,  we  kinder  war,  and  we  kinder  warn't,'  said 
Ephraim.  '  This  is  the  way  I  put  it  up,'  he  went  on 
to  explain  with  considerable  shrewdness.  '  I  'magine 
thar  must  hev  been  a  fight  somewhar  around  hyar,  and 
the  cunnel  thar,  whatever  his  name  is,  has  lit  out  er 
harm's  way.  He  started  off  ter  make  his  way  back 
ter  the  camp,  gatherin'  up  men  ez  he  went  along,  and 
unfortnitly  fer  us,  he  happened  ter  cross  the  clearin' 
et  the  precise  moment  we  came  down  in  it.'  Which,  as 
the  reader  knows,  is  just  what  had  happened. 

'  Well,  he  '11  have  a  fine  story  to  tell  when  he  does 
get  back  to  camp,'  laughed  Lucius. 


76  A    FREE    BREAKFAST. 

'Won't  he?'  laughed  Ephraim  back.  'Ye  may 
resk  your  last  dime  he  won't  make  no  small  thing  of 
it.     My  !  I  wish  we  could  be  thar  tor  hear  him.' 

'  Oh,  thank  you,'  said  Lucius  hilariously.  '  I  've  had 
enough  of  him  for  one  day,  I  shall  be  quite  content 
to  read  his  speech  in  the  papers.' 

'Ho!  ho!  ho!'  guffawed  Ephraim.  'Ain't  ye  jest 
ticklish.  Luce !' 

They  were  both  so  overjoyed  at  their  escape  from 
the  double  danger  of  the  morning  that  they  had  no 
room  left  for  further  apprehension.  But  presently 
Ephraim  was  recalled  to  a  sense  of  the  gravity  of  the 
situation  by  the  distant  notes  of  a  bugle. 

'Hear  thet!'  he  exclaimed.  'Thet  tells  ye.  Say, 
Luce,  it  won't  do  fer  us  to  set  still  hyar.  Don't  ye 
know  this  kentry's  full  er  Yanks.  It 's  bound  ter  be. 
We  must  try  and  make  our  way  ter  old  Stonewall's 
lines.' 

'  Where  are  they,  I  wonder,'  said  Lucius. 

'  I  wish  I  knew.  Fact  is,  I  'd  no  idee  we  could  hev 
come  so  fer.  I  thort  we  must  be  close  home.'  He 
called  it  Iiutyi. 

'  So  did  I,'  agreed  Lucius.  '  Old  Blue  Bag,  as  you 
call  that  horrible  balloon,  must  have  travelled  far  and 
fast.' 

'  I  wish  we  war  in  her  now,'  said  Ephraim  dis- 
consolately. 

'  Oh  I  no,  no,  no,'  exclaimed  Lucius  vehemently.  '  I  'd 
rather  be  hanged  a  hundred  times  than  go  through 
that  horrible  experience  again.' 

'  Waal,  ye  wouldn't  feel  the  ninety -nine,  after  ye  'd 
got  comfortably  done  with  the  first,'  said  Ephraim 
with    one    of    his    quiet   grins.     '  But    it   don't  foller, 


A    FREE   BREAKFAST.  77 

because  we  got  into  one  rumpus  up  in  the  clouds,  thet 
we  'd  immediately  git  inter  another.  We  wouldn't  go 
so  high  for  one  thing.' 

'  No,  no,'  I  tell  you,'  cried  Lucius,  almost  as  terrified 
at  the  prospect  as  he  had  been  at  the  reality.  'I 
wouldn't  get  into  the  awful  thing  again  to  save  my 
life.' 

Ephraim  looked  at  him  silently  for  a  moment.  Then 
he  said  with  a  little  sigh  :  '  Waal,  Luce,  I  reckon  ye 
won't  be  put  ter  it  ter  make  the  choice,  fer  by  this 
time  I  should  say  old  Blue  Bag  has  either  been  busted 
by  thet  pesky  cunnel,  or  took  inter  camp  by  the  men.' 

'Oh!'  said  Lucius  regretfully,  'I  am  real  mean, 
Grizzly,  after  all  the  trouble  you  took  to  make  it.' 

'Waal,  waal,  I  ain't  keerin,'  answered  Ephraim 
hastily.  '  It 's  gone  now,  and  thar  's  an  end  er  it.  Ye  '11 
oblige  me.  Luce,  if  ye  don't  say  no  more  about  it. — 
Hark  !'  as  the  bugle  sounded  once  more.  'Thet  tells  us 
we  'd  better  quit.' 

'I  wonder  what  it  means,'  pondered  Lucius,  rising 
to  his  feet. 

'  What,  thet  call?'  answered  Ephraim.  'Breakfast, 
I  'magine.  I  know  /  feel  it  must  be  somewhar  about 
that  time.     Got  yer  watch  ?' 

'  No,'  replied  Lucius  ;  '  I  forgot  that,  like  everything 
else,  in  my  hurry  to  leave  home.' 

He  thought  for  a  minute  and  added  :  '  Say,  Grizzly, 
how  are  we  to  know  but  what  that  bugle  is  being- 
blown  in  our  own  lines  somewhere  ?  It 's  as  likely 
as  not.' 

'Thar's  suthin'  in  what  ye  say,'  answered  Ephraim. 
'We  sutt'nly  don't  know  whether  old  Stonewall  is 
ahead  of  us,  or  behind,  or  to  the  right  or  to  the  left. 


7S  A    FREE    BREAKFAST. 

We  don't  know  mithin',  and  we  can't  see  nuthin'  fer 
this  pesky  wood  shuttin'  out  the  sky.  E£  we  could 
see  the  sun,  we  might  git  an  idee  of  the  lay  of  the 
land.     We  '11  move  on,  anyway.' 

'In  what  direction  then  ?' 

'  It  don't  matter.  All  roads  is  alike  sence  we  don't 
know  the  right  one.  We  '11  move  towards  the  music. 
On'y  we  must  feel  our  way  cautious.' 

'And  keep  a  sharp  eye  for  the  colonel,'  observed 
Lucius. 

'  By  time  !  j^es.  I  wouldn't  give  much  fer  our  chances 
ef  he  gripped  holt  on  us  now  after  that  smack  in  the 
face  ye  gin  him.  Ef  he  warn't  in  'arnest  before,  he 
will  be  ef  ever  he  ketches  us  agen.' 

'  He  owes  you  one  as  well.  Grizzly,  for  the  tumble 
you  gave  him,'  laughed  Lucius. 

'  I  reckon,'  answered  Ephraim.  '  But  then  he  war 
down  on  me  right  from  the  beginnin',  'cause  he  got  it 
inter  his  thick  head  I  meant  ter  be  impident  ter  him.' 

They  walked  along  for  half  an  hour  or  so,  entirely 
ignorant  of  their  direction,  until  at  last  the  trees 
began  to  thin  out,  and  it  was  evident  that  they  were 
approaching  either  the  edge  of  the  wood  or  another 
clearing.  Past  experience  had  taught  them  caution, 
and  they  were  wise  enough  not  to  break  cover  until 
they  had  very  carefully  surveyed  their  surroundings. 
It  was  as  well.  Stealing  from  tree  to  tree  and  tread- 
ing as  softly  as  they  could,  they  at  length  reached  a 
point  where  they  could  see  into  the  open. 

What  a  sight !  Grand,  impressive,  but  just  then 
particularly  alarming  to  our  two  boys,  for  right  in 
front  of  them,  upon  a  small  hillock,  frowned  eight 
black -muzzled  cannon,  while  a  lane  which  led  from  a 


A    FREE    BREAKFAST.  79 

handsome  house  to  a  mill  beside  the  stream  was 
packed  with  Federal  troops.  Camp-fires  were  blazing 
and  crackling  cheerily  in  the  open,  and  the  grateful 
odour  of  coffee  was  wafted  to  the  noses  of  the  hungry 
boys.  Ephraim  signalled  silently  with  his  hand,  and 
as  quietly  as  they  had  come,  the  two  glided  back  into 
the  friendly  shelter  of  the  deep  woods.  'By  time!' 
whispered  Ephraim,  when  they  had  reached  a  safe 
point,  as  they  thought, '  thet  was  a  mighty  nasty  sight. 
Ef  we  'd  walked  inter  the  open,  we  'd  hev  been  goners 
shore  enufF.' 

'It  looked  as  if  they  were  expecting  something,' 
whispered  Lucius  back. 

'  It 's  maybe  old  Stonewall  they  're  waitin'  fer,'  said 
Ephraim.  '  Shucks  !  ef  we  git  between  their  firin', 
we  '11  be  a  heap  wusser  ofF'n  we  war  in  Blue  Bag.' 

'  That 's  not  possible,'  affirmed  Lucius,  with  another 
shudder.  The  impression  left  upon  him  was  evidently 
not  likely  to  fade  in  a  hurry. 

'My  land,  Luce!'  exclaimed  Ephraim,  who  had  been 
thinking  so  deeply  that  he  failed  to  hear  his  com- 
panion's remark,  '  I  tell  ye  we  're  in  a  pretty  mess.' 

'  Why,  what 's  wrong  now  ?'  asked  Lucius. 

'  I  '11  tell  ye.  Thar 's  the  Yankee  army,  or  a  right 
smart  slice  of  it,  way  aback  yander,  frontin'  the  wood. 
Now  it  ain't  likely  that  if  they  're  on  the  lookout  for 
old  Stonewall — and  I  reckon  they  air — thet  they'd 
leave  this  wood  unguarded  jest  for  him  to  pop  right 
out  on  'em  and  give  'em  howdy  while  they  war 
drinkin'  their  coffee.     Is  it,  now  ? ' 

'  No,  it  isn't,'  admitted  Lucius.     '  Well  ?' 

'  Waal,  ye  may  be  ez  shore  ez  ye  air  standin'  whar 
ye  air  that  the  wood  is  full  er  their  pickets;  likely 


80  A    FREE   BREAKFAST. 

enough  tlie  last  line  er  'em  is  almost  techin'  noses  with 
Stonewall's  men.  Anyway,  we  've  got  'em  all  round 
us,  and  between  us  and  our  own  boys,  wharever  they 
may  be.  Ye  kin  make  yer  mind  easy  on  thet.  And 
it's  a  mercy  we  han't  come  plump  on  some  er  'em 
before  now.' 

'  Then  we  're  about  done  for,'  said  Lucius.  '  It 's 
only  a  question  of  time  before  we  light  on  some  of 
them  if  we  keep  on  walking.' 

*  Hold  on,  sonny,'  returned  Ephraim  cheerfully.  *  It 
ain't  so  bad  ez  thet  yit.  It 's  pretty  tough,  this  situa- 
tion is,  I'll  allow;  but  we  ain't  goin'  ter  Fortress 
Monroe  'thout  a  w^orry  ter  git  back  ter  Staunton.  Ye 
see,'  he  went  on,  '  they  're  bound  to  be  pretty  thick  in 
the  wood  ;  but  et  the  same  time  they  can't  be  every- 
whar.  We  '11  keep  on  going  cautious,  and  maybe  we  '11 
out-flank  'em  yit.     Come  on  !' 

'  I  wish  we  had  a  couple  of  pots  of  their  coffee,' 
sighed  Lucius.     '  My  !    didn't  it  smell  good  ?' 

*  We  '11  forage  ez  we  go  along,'  said  Ephraim.  '  Ye 
never  know  what  ye  '11  find  ef  ye  keep  on  looking.' 

The  truth  of  this  bit  of  philosophy  presently  became 
unpleasantly  manifest,  for  after  they  had  wandered  on 
for  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  Lucius  suddenly  pulled  up 
short  with  a  smothered  exclamation  of  disgust. 

'What  is  it?'  muttered  Ephraim.  'D'ye  see  any 
one  ?' 

For  answer  Lucius  pointed  with  his  right  hand, 
averting  his  face,  which  was  very  pale.  Ephraim 
followed  the  guiding  finger.  'By  time  !'  he  exclaimed, 
'  they  've  got  it  shore  enuflt'.' 

A  few  paces  away  and  close  together  were  the  dead 
bodies  of  two  Federal   soldiers,  lying  on  their  backs 


A   FREE   BREAKFAST.  81 

with  white,  upturned  faces,  and  sightless  eyes  that 
stared  fixed  up  into  the  dense  foliage  that  swept  above 
them. 

'Pore  critters!'  said  Ephraim  sympathetically,  all 
feeling  but  that  of  humanity  banished  for  the  moment 
from  his  breast.  '  Thar 's  somebody  lookin'  for  them 
ez  will  be  sorry  they  don't  come  home.  Thar  must 
hev  been  a  rumpus  round  hyar  lately.  Luce.' 

'I  don't  see  any  more,'  answered  Lucius,  looking 
round  ;  '  and  there  are  no  signs  of  a  struggle  anywhere 
about.' 

*  Why,  thet  's  so,'  admitted  Ephraim,  also  surveying 
the  ground.  '  Waal  then,  how  do  they  come  ter  be 
lyin'  thar  ? — I  '11  tell  ye,  Luce,  most  likely  thar  war  a 
fight  yesterday,  and  they  got  wounded.  Then  they 
sot  out  ter  fetch  up  ter  their  own  lines  agen,  and  death 
follered  'em  up  and  overtook  'em  before  they  could  git 
thar.  See  hyar,'  he  continued,  kneeling  down  by  the 
fallen  men,  '  this  one  has  a  hole  in  the  right  side  er  his 
coat.  He  must  hev  bled  ter  death  inside.  And  the 
other  one  hez  got  it  in  the  leg.  See,  his  trousers  is  all 
over  blood,  and  he  's  tied  his  handkerchief  round  the 
place  ter  try  and  stop  the  bleedin'.  The  wonder  is 
thet  he  war  able  to  walk  at  all.  Maybe  he  crawled. 
Pore  critters  !    pore  critters  !' 

'How  can  you  bear  to  touch  them?'  said  Lucius 
faintly.     'They  look  dreadful.' 

'  Ah  !'  returned  Ephraim  sententiously, '  it 's  a  pictur 
er  the  war  thet  didn't  strike  us  afore  we  set  out,  or 
maybe  we  wouldn't  hev  been  in  such  a  hurry  to  come. 
Ye  kin  see  now,  Luce,'  he  finished  grimly,  '  what  we  'd 
hev  looked  like  ef  the  cunnel  hed  got  his  way.' 

'Don't!'  exclaimed  Lucius.     'Come  on.     Let  us  get 

F 


82  A    FREE    BREAKFAST. 

out  of  this.  We  can't  do  them  any  good  by  staring  at 
til  em.' 

♦  Thet  's  so,'  acquiesced  Ephraim,  rising  to  his  feet. — 
'By  time  !  thet 's  a  good  idee,'  he  suddenly  ejaculated. 
'  I  tell  ye  what  it  is,  Luce.  Ye  air  right  when  ye  say 
we  can't  do  them  no  good,  pore  men  ;  but  I  reckon  it 
won't  do  'em  enny  harm  nuther,  ef  we  make  use  of 
'em  fer  our  own  benefit.' 

'Why,  what  do  you  mean?'  inquired  Lucius,  be- 
wildered.    '  How  can  we  make  use  of  them  ?' 

'See  their  clothes?'  answered  Ephraim.  'Ef  we 
git  inside  'em,  it'll  be  ez  good  ez  a  free  pass  ter  us 
anywhar  about  the  Yankee  lines.  Come  now,  Luce,' 
as  the  boy  made  a  gesture  of  horror,  'this  ain't  no 
time  fer  bein'  squeamish.  We  're  in  a  muss,  and 
we're  bound  to  git  out  of  it  the  best  way  we  kin. 
Besides,  it  can't  hurt  them,  remember.' 

'  It 's  too  awful ! '  gasped  Lucius.  '  It 's  robbing 
the  dead.' 

'It  ain't  nuthin'  of  the  kind,'  retorted  Ephraim. 
'  It 's  on'y  their  coats  and  trousers  we  want,  and  their 
caps.  I  reckon  Uncle  Sam  paid  fer  thet  lot.  And 
we  '11  cover  'em  up  with  our  own.  Come  now,  Luce, 
do  be  reasonable.' 

He  knelt  down  again  and  with  no  irreverent  touch 
began  to  remove  the  outer  garments  from  one  of  the 
fallen  men.  '  This  one 's  not  much  taller  than  ye  air 
yourself,  Luce,'  he  said,  throwing  the  coat  and  trousers 
towards  the  reluctant  Lucius.  'Ye  kin  take  this  lot. 
The  other  man's  about  my  height.  Not  so  lanky, 
maybe ;  but  it  '11  do,  I  reckon.  Ah  !  now,  Luce,  make 
up  yer  mind  and  put  'em  on.  We  han't  got  so  much 
time  ez  all  thet.' 


A   FREE   BREAKFAST.  83 

He  threw  off  his  own  clothes  and  assumed  the 
uniform  he  had  chosen,  and  in  a  moment  or  two 
Lucius,  bowing  to  the  stronger  will,  did  likewise. 

'  Feel  in  the  pockets.  Luce,'  suggested  Ephraim. 
'  Ef  thar  's  ennything  they  set  store  by,  I  reckon  we 
don't  want  to  take  it  away  from  'em.'  But  search 
revealed  nothing.  The  dead  Federals  had  evidently 
been  both  poor  and  friendless.  Probably  they  had 
enlisted  as  substitutes,  or  as  bounty  men,  no  one 
caring  where  they  went  to  or  what  became  of  them. 
Arms  and  accoutrements  they  had  none,  for  these  had 
been  flung  away  for  lightness'  sake  when  they  started 
on  their  last  sad  march.  Quietly  and  carefully 
Ephraim  laid  the  clothes  they  had  discarded  over 
the  corpses,  and  then,  turning  to  Lucius,  who  still 
remained  distressfully  silent,  took  him  by  the  arm 
and  led  him  away  from  the  dismal  spot. 

'  I  wish  we  'd  got  their  guns,'  said  the  Grizzly,  a 
few  moments  later.  '  I  'd  hev  felt  safer  thet  way ; 
but  I  reckon  they  throwed  'em  off  somewhar.  No 
matter,  we  've  found  so  much  already  thet  we  may 
run  up  against  some  in  good  time.' 

'  I  hope  we  shall  not  run  up  against  any  more  dead 
men,'  said  Lucius  dismally. 

'  I  'm  with  ye  thar,'  answered  Ephraim.  *  'Tain't  the 
purtiest  sight  in  the  world,  I  '11  allow. — My  !  Luce,  ye 
do  look  a  spruce  young  soldier,  I  tell  ye.' 

'Do  I?'  said  Lucius,  smiling  faintly.  'I'm  afraid 
I  don't  feel  very  like  one  just  now.  That  poor 
man  was  taller  than  you  thought,  Grizzly.  The 
coat  is  all  right,  but  the  trousers  are  dreadfully 
long.' 

'  Roll  'em  up  a  bit,  then,'  advised  the  Grizzly.     '  Set 


84  A   FREE    BREAKFAST. 

your  cap  a  leetle  more  ter  wan  side.  Thar,  now  ye  '11 
do.  Say,  ain't  we  a  pair  er  fust-class  invaders  when 
all 's  said  and  done  ? ' 

'  You  seem  to  have  forgotten  one  thing/  said  Lucius 
lightly,  for  he  was  beginning  to  accommodate  himself 
to  circumstances. 

'And  what  might  that  be,  bub?' 

'  Why,  though  no  doubt  we  shall  be  all  right  if  we 
meet  any  Federals  so  long  as  we  have  these  uniforms 
on,  yet,  suppose  we  run  against  our  own  men,  where 
shall  we  be  then  ?' 

'  Safe,  I  reckon,'  answered  Ephraim  promptly.  *  I 
guess  in  thet  case  we  '11  be  took  prisoners,  and  if 
we  're  not,  why,  we  '11  give  ourselves  up  ter  the  fust 
Confederate  we  set  eyes  on,  and  arsk  him  ter  be 
obligin'  enufF  ter  arrest  us.' 

'But  supposing  they  shoot  before  they  ask?'  went 
on  Lucius. 

'  I  '11  be  durned  ef  I  suppose  ennything  er  the  kind,' 
retorted  Ephraim.  '  I  '11  wait  till  it  happens  and  then 
tell  ye  both  what  I  think  of  it. — Thar  's  wan  thing, 
though.  Luce,'  he  added.  '  Ye  look  all  right  in  wan 
way,  smart  and  spry  and  all  thet ;  but  ye  're  too 
young  by  a  long  sight.' 

'  I  can't  help  that,'  giggled  Lucius,  '  unless  you  '11 
lend  me  a  bit  of  your  beard.' 

'I  would  and  willin','  answered  Ephraim  seriously, 
'  ef  it  would  stick  on. — Hi !  I  've  got  a  notion.  Hold 
up  a  minnit,  Luce.  Ye  mustn't  mind  ef  I  spoil  yer 
beauty  a  bit.' 

He  grubbed  up  a  handful  of  loose  soil  as  he  spoke, 
and  catching  hold  of  the  astonished  Lucius,  rubbed 
it  well  into  his  face  and  neck. 


A    FREE    BREAKFAST.  85 

'What's  that  for?' cried  Lucius  indignantly,  start- 
ing back. 

'Keckon  thet's  taken  some  er  the  bloom  oft"n  ye,' 
grinned  Ephraim.  '  Hold  on !  I  han't  finished  with 
ye  yet.  Plague  take  it,  I  wish  I  hadn't  lost  my  knife. 
By  time  !  hyar  's  one  in  the  corner  er  this  yer  coat 
pocket.  What  a  good  thing !  I  never  felt  it  before. 
Now,  lend  us  yer  handkercher.' 

'  Why,'  said  Lucius,  handing  him  the  required  article, 
*  whatever  are  you  going  to  do  ?' 

'  I  '11  show  ye  afore  ye  kin  turn  round/  replied  the 
Grizzly,  and  opening  the  clasp-knife,  deliberately 
cut  his  finger. 

'  Grizzly  !'  cried  Lucius.     'Are  you  gone  mad  ?' 

'  Not  me,'  retorted  Ephraim  coolly.  '  Never  felt 
more  level-headed  in  all  my  life,  thank  ye.  See 
thet  now.' 

He  let  the  blood  from  his  finger  drip  upon  Luce's 
handkerchief  until  the  latter  w^as  thoroughly  spotted 
with  the  bright  red  stains. 

'  Now  then,  up  she  goes,'  he  cried ;  and  plucking  off 
Luce's  cap,  with  a  deft  turn  he  bound  the  blood- 
soaked  handkerchief  about  the  boy's  brow.  '  Thar,' 
he  chuckled,  as  he  replaced  the  cap,  and  stepped  back- 
wards to  survey  his  handiwork.  '  Ye  '11  do  now,  I 
should  say.  Why,  don't  ye  know,  thet  puts  three  or 
four  years  outer  ye  at  once.  Not  ter  speak  er  it 
givin'  ye  a  look  ez  ef  ye  'd  come  through  some  tar'ble 
hard  fightin'.  We  kin  move  along  now  'thout  worryin' 
ourselves,  Luce,  fer  thar  ain't  a  Yank  ez  is  likely  ter 
stop  us,  'ceptin',  ef  course,  ef  we  're  seen  tryin'  ter 
pass  the  pickets.' 

*  You  're  a  genius.  Grizzly,  as  I  've  said  before,'  re- 


86  A    FREE    BREAKFAST. 

marked   Lucius.     '  But   I   wish   you   hadn't    cut   your 
finger  like  that.' 

'  Pooh  !  'tain't  nuthin','  answered  Ephraim,  vigorously 
sucking  the  wounded  member.  '  I  tell  ye  what  it  is, 
Luce,  ef  we  don't  git  suthin'  ter  eat  pretty  soon,  I  '11 
hev  ter  begin  on  my  boots.  I  'm  thet  low,  ye  can't 
imagine.' 

'Can't  I?'  replied  Lucius.  'Ever  since  I  got  that 
whiff  of  coffee  in  my  nostrils,  I've  been  sighing  for 
some.  Seriously,  though,  we  must  get  food  some- 
where.    We  can't  go  on  walking  all  day  upon  nothing.' 

'The  cunnel  'lowed  he  war  goin'  ter  teach  us  ter 
dance  upon  nuthin','  said  Ephraim,  chuckling  at  the 
reminiscence.  '  The  very  fust  Yank  I  come  across, 
I  'm  goin'  up  ter  him  to  arsk  him  fer  a  bite  er  suthin'.' 

'And  suppose  he  hasn't  got  anything  ?' 

'  Oh !  drap  yer  supposin',  Luce.  I  tell  ye  it 's  a 
sartinty.  But  'sposin'  he  han't,  since  ye  will  be  always 
'sposin',  then  I  '11  eat  him  ez  he  stands,  and  make  no 
bones  about  it.' 

'  Supposing  it 's  the  colonel,'  laughed  Lucius. 

'  Aw,  yah  !  No,  I  wouldn't  tech  his  pesky  carcass 
with  a  forty-foot  pole  with  an  iron  spike  on  the  end 
er  it.' 

'I'd  give  something  to  know  whereabouts  we  are,' 
said  Lucius.  '  How  do  we  know  we  are  in  the  valley 
at  all  ?' 

'Pho!'  answered  Ephraim,  'I  'low  I  never  thought 
er  it  in  thet  light.  Er  co'se  we  mought  hev  been 
blown  across  the  Blue  Ridge  during  the  night ;  but 
I  reckon  not.  I  should  say  we  're  in  the  valley  right 
enuff,  somewhar  'twixt  Staunton  and  Winchester.' 

'  That 's  a  wide  ranire.' 


A   FREE   BREAKFAST.  87 

'  Waal,  I  know  thet ;  but  it 's  the  best  I  kin  do  far 
ye  till  we  git  outer  this  wood  and  strike  up  agin  some 
spot  that'll  serve  us  as  a  landmark. — Hello!  Hyar 
we  come  ter  the  edge  er  the  wood  agen.  Hist !  now. 
Let 's  go  cautious.' 

Had  they  but  known  it,  they  were  not  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  from  the  spot  where  they  had  observed  the 
Federal  cannon  planted,  for  they  had  simply  been 
wandering  round  and  round  among  the  trees,  and 
before  long  would  probably  have  found  themselves 
back  again  in  view  of  the  Federal  camp.  They  had 
simply  changed  their  direction  slightly  without  ever 
getting  very  far  from  the  open  country,  and  now  they 
halted  to  hold  a  short  council  of  war. 

'  I  tell  ye  what  it  is,'  began  Ephraim.  '  Thar 's  no 
sense  in  our  moochin'  round  through  the  woods  like 
this,  never  beginnin'  anywhar,  and  always  endin'  up 
nowhar.  We  '11  go  now  and  take  a  squint  inter  the 
open,  and  ef  the  kentry  seems  cl'ar,  we  '11  march  along 
the  edge  of  the  woods  instead  of  through  'em.  That  '11 
be  a  lump  better,  and  et  the  fust  sign  er  danger  we 
kin  slip  back  among  the  trees.' 

'  That  sounds  a  good  idea,'  agreed  Lucius. 

'  Well,  come  and  let  us  survey  the  ground  right 
hyar.' 

They  advanced  together,  cautiously  still,  but  more 
boldly  than  before,  for  their  disguises  gave  them 
confidence,  and  they  were  not  now  so  concerned 
at  the  prospect  of  meeting  a  stray  Federal  or  two, 
provided  they  could  keep  clear  of  the  pickets. 

'Thar's  not  a  soul  in  sight,  Luce,'  said  Ephraim, 
peering  through  the  trees. — '  Hello  !  I  see  a  house.' 

'  Where  ?'  asked  Lucius,  edging  up  to  him. 


88  A    FKEE    BREAKFAST. 

'Thar,  a  hundred  yards  or  so  away  ter  the  left. 
That  is,  ef  ye  call  it  a  house,  fer  I  reckon  it's  on'y 
a  log  cabin.' 

The  cabin,  for  such  it  really  was,  to  which  Ephraim 
drew  his  comrade's  attention,  stood  folded  in,  as  it 
were,  between  two  out-jutting  arms  of  the  wood. 
The  long  arm,  the  actual  trend  of  the  wood  in  the 
same  line  as  the  boys,  swept  so  close  to  the  back 
of  the  house  as  to  almost  touch  it.  Certainly  not 
more  than  ten  paces  separated  the  one  from  the 
other.  The  second  arm,  formed  by  a  spur  of  the 
wood  springing  off  almost  at  right  angles  to  the 
main  forest,  bounded  a  clearing  in  front  and  at  the 
far  side  of  the  house.  Looked  at  from  the  boys'  point 
of  view,  the  back  of  the  house  with  a  solitary  window 
was  in  full  view,  one  side  partly  visible,  while  the 
front  and  far  side  were  quite  out  of  their  line  of  sight. 

'  Thar  don't  seem  no  one  ter  stop  us,'  said  Ephraim, 
after  they  had  studied  the  position  for  a  few  minutes. 
'  I  vote  we  go  up  ter  thet  cabin,  and  ef  the  owner's 
ter  hum,  we  kin  arsk  him  fer  some  breakfast.' 

'I  like  the  notion,'  answered  Lucius,  smacking  his 
lips.  '  I  suppose  we  may  take  it  for  granted  that  it 
isn't  a  Yankee  who  inhabits  the  house.' 

'In  the  valley  !  I  should  smile  !'  remarked  Ephraim 
with  fine  scorn.  'Anyway  we'll  be  all  right,  fer 
ef  by  any  accident  it  is  a  bunkum  Yank  thet 
lives  thar,  our  uniforms  will  fetch  him.  He  can't 
help  hisself  when  it  comes  to  feedin'  a  wounded  com- 
rade.' He  glanced  at  the  handkerchief  on  Luce's  head 
and  grinned.  '  But  thar,'  he  went  on,  '  what  'd  a 
Yank  be  doin'  f armin'  in  the  valley  ?  I  guess  it  '11 
be  all  squar.     Come  and  let 's  see.' 


A    FREE    BREAKFAST.  89 

They  re-entered  the  wood  and  worked  their  way 
along,  keeping  well  within  the  trees  until  they  came 
opposite  to  the  back  of  the  cabin.  The  window,  or 
rather  hole  in  the  wall  which  did  duty  for  such, 
was  destitute  of  glass,  and  the  shutter  which  served 
to  close  it  swung  idly  on  creaking  hinges  in  the 
light  morning  breeze. 

'  Smell  that !'  said  Ephraim,  sniffing  the  air.  '  The 
old  man,  whoever  he  is,  has  got  hot  coffee  fer  break- 
fast. This  ain't  no  fat  thing,  I  reckon.  Oh,  no  !'  He 
rubbed  his  hands  together  gleefully. 

'  On  you  go,  then,'  urged  Lucius.  '  Only  go  easy. 
We  don't  want  to  put  our  heads  into  a  hornet's  nest.' 

They  left  the  cover  of  the  woods,  and  crossing 
the  narrow  strip  of  ground,  approached  the  window 
and  looked  into  the  cabin. 

It  was  a  one-roomed  affair,  built  entirely  of  logs, 
with  no  flooring  and  no  ceiling.  Only  under  the 
roof  three  or  four  strong  rafters  ran  from  end  to 
end,  and  across  these  at  one  end  were  laid  half  a 
dozen  stout  planks  or  slabs,  forming  a  makeshift 
loft.  The  remainder  of  the  roof  space  was  vacant 
and  unbearded.  Not  quite  opposite  to  the  window 
was  the  door,  which  was  closed,  and  in  the  middle  of 
the  solitary  chamber  stood — oh!  gracious  and  appetite- 
inspiring  sight ! — a  rough-hewn  table,  covered  with 
all  manner  of  delicacies.  A  pot  of  steaming  coffee 
was  flanked  by  three  or  four  tin  cups  full  of  milk, 
and  a  fine  cut  of  ham  stood  royally  among  tinned 
meats  of  sorts,  broken  biscuits,  and  last,  but  not  least, 
a  jar  of  jam.  And  all  this  spread  of  dainties  stood 
unheeded.     Apparently  there  was  no  one  to  enjoy  it. 

'By  time!'  whispered  Ephraim.     'Did  ever  ye  see 


90  A    FREE    BREAKFAST. 

the  like  ?  The  old  man  is  goin'  ter  hev  a  good  time 
fer  once,  I  'magine.  Step  right  in,  Luce.  We  won't 
wait  till  he  comes  in.  I  'm  sartin  he  'd  like  us  to 
make  ourselves  at  home.' 

'Hush!'  whispered  Lucius  back  warningly.  'I 
am  sure  I  hear  some  one.' 

'Keep  still,  then,  till  I  go  and  reckoniter,'  breathed 
Ephraim.     '  I  won't  be  a  minnit.' 

He  stole  away  round  the  hut,  and  presently  returned, 
his  face  purple,  and  the  sleeve  of  his  tunic  stuffed 
into  his  mouth  to  prevent  the  inward  laughter  which 
convulsed  him  from  finding  outward  expression.  '  By 
time  !'  he  chuckled  softly,  as  soon  as  he  had  regained 
his  self-command.  '  Sech  a  joke !  Lay  low,  Luce. 
Say  nuthin'  ;  but  laugh  !' 

'Why,  what  is  it?'  whispered  Lucius.  'What  did 
you  see  ?' 

'  Ye  'd  never  begin  ter  believe  it,'  responded  Ephraim 
in  the  same  soft  undertone,  '  Who  d'  ye  think  thet 
breakfast 's  fer  ?  Why,  fer  the  Yankee  gin'ruls  they- 
selves.  There 's  a  knot  of  'em  way  yander  in  the 
clearin'  'sputin'  'bout  suthin' ;  and  there 's  a  sentry 
marchin'  up  and  down  before  the  door  as  stiff  as 
a  ramrod.  By  time !  it 's  lucky  they  didn't  think 
of  guardin'  the  window.' 

'  It  was  the  sentry  I  heard,'  said  Lucius. 

'  I  reckon.  No  matter.  In  with  ye,  bub.  We  '11 
help  'em  through  with  some  er  thet  ham  and  them 
crackers,  and  be  off  again  before  ye  kin  say  knife.' 

Lucius  needed  no  second  invitation,  and  followed 
closely  by  Ephraim,  climbed  noiselessly  through  the 
window.  Without  loss  of  time  they  drank  off  the 
mugs   of   milk,  leaving   the   coffee   untasted,    because 


A    FREE    BREAKFAST.  91 

it  was  SO  very  hot,  and  delays  were  dangerous.  Then, 
while  Lucius  stuffed  his  pockets  full  of  crackers, 
Ephraim  employed  his  clasp-knife  to  better  purpose 
than  cutting  his  own  fingers  by  slicing  off'  a  goodly 
wedge  of  the  ham. 

'Ready,  Luce?'  the  Grizzly  whispered,  his  face 
beaming  with  delight  at  the  humour  of  the  thinof. 
'  'T won't  do  ter  wait  fer  our  hosts.  There  'd  be  a 
leetle  too  much  ter  pay,' 

Lucius  nodded.  He  had  just  absorbed  an  enormous 
mouthful  of  jam,  and  was  consequently  unable  to 
speak.     But  he  sneaked  to  the  window  after  Ephraim. 

'  Bring  the  jam  along,'  whispered  the  latter.  '  It  '11 
go  fine  with  the  crackers.' 

He  thrust  his  head  out  of  the  window,  preparatory 
to  climbing  out,  but  instantly  drew  it  in  again  with 
a  low  exclamation  of  intense  disgust. 

'What  is  it?'  asked  Lucius,  who  naturally  could 
not  see. 

'  Thar  's  a  whole  posse  of  soldiers  jest  ter  the  right 
at  the  edge  er  the  woods,'  replied  Ephraim,  '  They  're 
settin'  on  the  ground,  so  I  reckon  they  mean  ter 
stay.  We  're  trapped,  Luce,  and  thet  's  a  fact.  Ef  it 
warn't  fer  thet  pesky  sentry  outside  the  door  with 
his  gun  and  all,  we  'd  make  a  dash  fer  it,  and  never 
mind  the  gin'ruls.  Ez  it  is,  we  're  done.  No  matter  ; 
we  '11  jest  hev  ter  brazen  it  out  the  best  way  we  kin. 
They'll  take  us  fer  two  of  their  own  men,  and  they 
can't  shoot  us  fer  keepin'  ourselves  from  starvin'.' 

'  Why  not  get  up  there  and  hide  ?  It 's  as  dark 
as  night,'  suggested  Lucius,  who  in  looking  round  the 
hut  had  discovered  the  improvised  loft  mentioned 
above. 


92  A    FREE    BREAKFAST. 

'  Git  up  whar  ?'  inquired  Ephraim,  who  had  not 
noticed  it.  '  By  time  !  The  very  place.  Up  with  ye, 
Luce.     They  're  comin'  up.     Hear  their  talk.' 

Lucius  replaced  the  jam  upon  the  table,  and  making 
a  leap  from  the  ground,  caught  hold  of  one  of  the 
rafters  and  swung  himself  up  on  to  the  planking. 
Ephraim  only  waited  to  scatter  a  few  crackers  by  the 
window  and  fling  a  couple  more  outside,  and  then  he 
too  sprang  up  and  joined  his  comrade. 

'What  did  you  do  that  for  ?'  asked  Lucius. 

'  Ye  '11  see  when  they  come  in.  Mum  's  the  word  ! 
Hyar  they  air.' 

They  retreated  to  the  farthest  extremity  of  the 
planking,  against  the  gable  of  the  hut,  where  they 
threw  themselves  down  at  full  length  ;  for,  as  Grizzly 
remarked,  they  might  have  to  stay  there  for  some 
time,  and  it  would  not  do  to  run  the  risk  of  becoming 
cramped. 

Their  faces  were  towards  the  open  space  where  the 
table  was  set,  and  themselves  completely  hidden,  not 
only  by  their  position  but  by  the  surrounding  gloom, 
they  could  see  clearly  all  over  the  room,  except  imme- 
diately underneath  them. 

Scarcely  had  they  taken  their  positions  when  the 
door  swung  open,  and  with  a  loud  clatter  of  voices  and 
jingling  of  swords,  three  Federal  officers  entered  the 
hut. 


s 


CHAPTER    VII. 

NO.    XX.    COMPANY   D   OF   THE    'TRAILING   TERRORS.' 

A !'  exclaimed  the  foremost  of  the  three 
officers,  who  wore  the  uniform  of  a  general, 
'  I  don't  know  about  you,  gentlemen,  but 
I  am  quite  ready  for  my  breakfast. — 
Eh  !  What !  Who  ?  The  dickens  ! — Here,  sergeant ! 
Orderly-sergeant  Cox  !' 

'  Sir  ! '  answered  the  orderly-sergeant,  dashing  into 
the  hut  at  the  loud,  imperative  summons. 

'What  is  the  meaning  of  this  ?' demanded  General 
Shields,  for  it  was  he.  '  What  is  the  meaning  of  it, 
sir?'  he  thundered,  as  Sergeant  Cox  simply  stared  at 
him  without  attempting  to  reply. 

'  Meaning,  sir  ?  Meaning  of  what,  sir  ? '  stammered 
the  bewildered  orderly  at  last. 

'  Of  this,'  vociferated  the  general,  pointing  to  the 
table.  '  Look  at  that  ham  !  Look  at  those  crackers  1 
Observe  the  jam  !     Where  is  the  milk  ?' 

'  Ham,  sir  !  Yes,  sir.  Jam,  sir  !  No,  sir.  Milk — 
crackers,  sir,'  stuttered  the  unfortunate  Cox,  ruefully 
regarding  the  denuded  table,  the  lacerated  ham,  and 
the  empty  mugs,  which  but  a  few  moments  before  he 
had  himself  seen  filled  with  rich  creamy  milk. 


94  THE    TRAILING    TERRORS. 

A  loud  snort  burst  from  Lucius,  who,  between  the 
angry  face  of  the  general  and  the  utter  amazement 
of  the  orderly,  found  the  situation  too  much  for  hira, 
and  would  simply  have  suffocated  had  not  this  timely 
explosion  of  mirth  suddenly  relieved  him.  Fortunately 
the  sound  was  swallowed  up  in  the  shout  of  laughter 
which,  at  the  same  moment,  broke  from  the  other  two 
officers,  in  the  midst  of  which  Ephraim  found  time  to 
whisper  hurriedly : 

'  It 's  too  funny,  Luce.  But  hold  up.  Don't  ye  do 
that  agen,  or  we  're  ruined  shore  and  certain.' 

'Ha!  ha!  ha!'  roared  one  of  the  officers,  a  stout, 
good-humoured-looking  brigadier.  '  Evidently  a  forag- 
ing party  has  been  beforehand  with  us.  By  George ! 
general,  it's  a  mercy  they  left  us  so  much  as  a  single 
cracker.  You  had  better  have  taken  my  advice  and 
had  breakfast  outside,  notwithstanding  the  tendency 
of  the  bugs  to  drop  uninvited  into  the  coffee.    Ha  !  ha  !' 

The  angry  look  died  out  of  General  Shields's  eyes, 
the  wrinkles  at  the  root  of  his  nose  smoothened  out 
again,  and  after  a  momentary  struggle  he  gave  way 
and  joined  heartily  in  the  laughter  of  his  subordinates. 
'  Well,  well,  it  can't  be  helped  now,'  he  said — '  it  is  the 
fortune  of  war ;  but  if  I  can  lay  hands  on  the  rascal 
who  has  played  us  this  trick,  I  '11 — I  '11  feed  him  on 
jam  till  he 's  so  sick  of  it,  he  won't  be  in  a  hurry  to 
plunder  his  general  again.'  He  broke  into  fresh 
laughter,  till,  remembering  the  presence  of  the  orderly, 
he  restrained  himself,  and  inquired  sharply,  '  What  are 
you  doing  there  ?' 

Orderly-sergeant  Cox,  who,  now  that  his  terror  and 
confusion  had  been  sent  to  the  right-about  by  the 
hilarity  of  the  officers,  would  have  given  a  good  deal 


THE   TRAILING   TERRORS.  95 

to  be  able  to  express  his  own  feelings  in  the  same  way, 
saluted  silently,  swung  on  his  heel,  and  made  for  the 
door. 

'  Stop  !' ordered  the  general,  and  Cox  swung  round 
again,  managing  by  a  violent  effort  to  dismiss  the  grin 
which  he  had  allowed  to  overspread  his  features  the 
moment  he  had  turned  his  back. 

'Any  news  of  Colonel  Spriggs?'  asked  General 
Shields. 

'  Can't  say,  sir.' 

'Very  good.  My  compliments  to  him,  when  he 
returns,  if  he  returns,  and  I  wish  to  see  him  at  once.' 

'Here,  sir  ?' 

'  Anywhere.  Wherever  I  happen  to  be.  I  can  be 
found,  I  suppose.' 

'  Very  well,  sir,'  and  with  another  salute  Orderly- 
sergeant  Cox  withdrew. 

*  I  believe  that  beggar  knows  more  of  this  than  he 
cares  to  say,'  observed  General  Shields,  mournfully 
regarding  the  remains  of  the  ham. 

'Oh,  not  he,'  laughed  the  fat  brigadier;  'I  never 
saw  a  fellow  look  so  utterly  flabbergasted.  No,  no, 
general,  your  thieves  have  come  and  gone  through 
this  window.  See,  here  are  some  of  the  spoils  dropped 
both  inside  and  out.' 

Ephraim  nudged  Lucius  gently,  as  much  as  to  say : 
'  Now  you  see  my  object  in  scattering  the  crackers 
there.  It  was  to  distract  attention  from  our  hiding- 
place.'  And  Lucius  answered  by  a  responsive  nudge, 
which  signified  comprehension. 

'  There  are  the  thieves,  or  I  am  much  mistaken,' 
continued  the  brigadier,  as  his  eye  fell  on  the  soldiers 
who  were  resting  on   their   arms  at  the  edo-e  of   the 


9G  THE    TRAILING    TERRORS. 

wood.  '  But  I  imagine  it  would  be  hopeless  to  try  and 
get  an  admission  out  of  them.' 

'  Better  make  the  best  of  what  is  left/  said  General 
Shields.  'Fall  to,  gentlemen.  It  is  half-past  six 
now,  and  news  from  the  bridge  should  soon  reach  us.' 

Only  half-past  six  !  The  boys  heard  this  announce- 
ment with  surprise.  True,  they  had  dropped  from  the 
clouds  very  shortly  after  daybreak  ;  but  the  long  light 
of  the  summer  morning,  and  the  crowding  of  so  many 
events  into  a  short  space,  had  confused  their  sense  of 
time,  and  they  had  imagined  it  to  be  much  later. 

The  day  had  begun  early  for  more  than  Lucius  and 
Ephraim.  Movements  were  afoot  which  were  destined 
to  bring  about  very  important  results,  and  the  news 
from  the  bridge,  which  the  Federal  general  so  calmly 
anticipated,  was  likely,  when  it  arrived,  to  disturb  his 
equilibrium  a  good  deal  more  than  the  loss  of  his 
breakfast. 

For  the  last  four  and  thirty  days,  Stonewall  Jackson 
had  been  making  matters  very  lively  for  the  northern 
invaders.  He  was  considerably  outnumbered,  but  with 
such  consummate  skill  did  he  handle  his  forces,  that  he 
was  able  to  attack  and  beat  the  Federal  generals  in 
detail,  one  after  another ;  nor,  chase  him  up  and  down 
as  they  would,  could  they  ever  succeed  in  effecting  a 
combination  of  their  entire  armies  against  him.  In- 
deed, the  rapidity  of  Jackson's  movements  astounded 
the  Federals,  for  scarcely  did  they  receive  reliable 
news  of  him  in  one  place  than  he  w^as  upon  them  in 
another,  and  considering  the  number  and  vigour  of 
their  marvellous  forced  marches,  it  is  no  wonder  that 
his  brigades  proudly  christened  themselves  '  Stonewall 
Jackson's  Foot  Cavalry.' 


THE   TRAILING  TERRORS.  97 

After  defeating  Milroy,  Jackson  had  rushed  through 
the  valley  to  Winchester,  where  he  fell  upon  General 
Banks  so  fiercely  and  suddenly  that  the  latter  was 
driven  in  the  wildest  confusion  clear  across  the 
Potomac.  The  dashing  Confederate  leader  then 
retreated  up  the  valley  by  the  great  turnpike, 
hotly  pursued  by  Fremont,  who  could  not,  however, 
succeed  in  bringing  him  to  hixj.  Shields,  meanwhile, 
had  moved  up  the  south-eastern  bank  of  the  Shen- 
andoah, and,  by  co-operation  with  him,  Fremont 
thought  at  last  to  crush  the  daring  rebel.  But  by 
a  master-stroke  Jackson  burned  the  bridge  at  the 
mouth  of  Elk  Run  Valley,  over  which  Shields  would 
have  led  his  troops — for  owing  to  heavy  rains  the 
Shenandoah  was  not  fordable — and  took  up  his  posi- 
tion at  Port  Republic,  a  little  village  situated  on  the 
south  fork  of  the  river.  Shields,  therefore,  advanced 
to  Lewiston,  the  farm  of  a  General  Lewis,  and  there 
awaited  instructions  from  Fremont,  who  was  but  a  few 
miles  off  at  Harrisonburg.  But  he  might  as  well  have 
been  a  thousand  miles  away,  for  between  the  two 
generals  rolled  the  impassable  Shenandoah,  and  the 
building  of  bridges  in  face  of  an  enemy  so  vigilant 
and  daring  as  Stonewall  Jackson  was  a  proposition 
that  could  not  be  seriously  considered.  Nevertheless, 
communication  had  been  somehow  effected,  and  it  so 
happened  that,  on  the  very  night  that  Ephraim  and 
Lucius  left  Staunton  in  the  balloon,  the  Federal 
generals  had  arranged  a  combined  attack  upon  the 
restless  Jackson  for  the  next  day.  Fremont  was  to 
advance  from  Harrisonburg  to  Cross  Keys  and  engage 
the  Confederate  left  under  Ewell,  while  at  the  same 
moment  Shields,  by  a  successful  dash  across  the  bridge 

G 


98  THE   TRAILING   TERRORS. 

at  Port  EepuLlic,  was  to  carrj^  the  little  town  and 
crumple  up  the  rebel  right.  But  Jackson's  cool  head 
and  war-trained  mind  had  foreseen  this  combination, 
and  his  own  plans  had  been  formed  to  keep  Shields 
just  where  he  was  on  the  south-eastern  bank  of  the 
river  until  Fremont  had  been  disposed  of.  When 
therefore  the  boys  took  refuge  in  the  loft,  and  the 
Federal  officers  turned  their  attention  to  their  dese- 
crated breakfast,  Fremont  and  Ewell  were  already 
confronting  one  another  at  Cross  Keys,  while  Shields's 
cavalry  were  on  their  way  to  rush  the  bridge  at 
Port  Republic  and  clear  the  road  for  the  passage  of 
the  infantry  and  artillery.  For  some  time  the  officers 
devoted  themselves  exclusively  to  their  breakfast,  but 
at  last  General  Shields  broke  the  silence  by  observ- 
ing, '  I  think  we  shall  fix  Jackson  this  bout.' 

'  If  the  bridge  at  Port  Republic  can  be  carried,' 
agreed  the  brigadier  cautiously. 

'  If  ! '  repeated  Shields  with  some  irritation.  '  There 
is  no  if  about  it,  sir.  It  must  be  carried.  It  cannot 
fail  to  be.  The  whole  attention  of  the  enemy  will  be 
by  this  time  centred  on  their  left  to  repulse  Fremont's 
demonstration  at  Cross  Keys.  By  ten  o'clock  my  head- 
quarters will  be  at  Port  Republic' 

The  brigadier  did  not  answer,  but  he  thought  his 
own  thoue^hts.  He  was  not  above  learninfj  a  lesson, 
even  from  an  enemy,  and  his  experience  of  Stonewall 
Jackson  as  a  leader  and  strategist  led  him  to  believe 
that  this  confident,  even  boastful  tone  was  not  justified 
in  the  face  of  recent  happenings  in  the  valley.  How- 
ever, he  was  silent  in  the  presence  of  his  commanding 
officer. 

'  Jackson  will  not  expect  an  attack  on  the  bridge/ 


THE    TRAILING    TERRORS.  99 

went  on  Shields,  enclosing  a  slice  of  bam  between  two 
biscuits.  '  He  will  know  nothing  of  the  movement 
until  he  finds  himself  driven  out  of  Port  Republic,  and 
then  it  will  be  too  late. — By  the  way,'  he  broke  off, 
'  that  reconnaissance  yesterday  was  shamefully  mud- 
dled.' 

'  It  was,'  agreed  the  brigadier ;  '  and  if  you  will 
excuse  my  saying  so,  I  thought  it  rather  an  error  of 
judgment  to  entrust  it  to  Colonel  Spriggs.  You 
remember  his  appearance  at  Bull  Run.' 

'  His  disappearance,  you  mean,'  corrected  General 
Shields  with  a  grim  smile.  '  Well,  perhaps  it  was  ; 
but  I  couldn't  well  help  myself.' 

'  I  am  at  a  loss  to  know  why  we  are  bothered  with 
such  a  fellow,'  put  in  the  third  officer,  a  staff  colonel. 

'Yes,  heartily  confound  all  these  political  generals 
and  colonels,'  said  Shields.  '  If  those  meddling  carpet 
warriors  would  only  mind  their  own  business,  and 
leave  us  to  manage  ours  in  the  field,  instead  of  inces- 
santly pulling  the  ropes,  we  should  have  another  story 
to  tell.  This  fellow  Spriggs  and  others  like  him  are 
pitched  into  colonelcies  and  even  higher  commands  by 
their  friends  the  politicians,  while  the  real  soldiers  go 
begging  for  a  place,  or,  rather  than  do  nothing,  serve 
their  country  unostentatiously  in  the  ranks.' 

'He  has  good  stuff  in  his  regiment,  too,'  said  the 
brigadier.  '  The  "  Trailing  Terrors,"  or  whatever 
ridiculous  name  he  calls  them  by,  are  stark  fighters 
when  they  get  a  chance,  or  are  properly  led.' 

'  Which  they  never  will  be,  so  long  as  Spriggs  is  in 
command  of  them,'  answered  Shields  testily.  '  I  've 
made  the  most  urgent  representations  about  the 
fellow,  and  no  notice  has  been  taken.    I  daren't  relieve 


100  THE    TRAILING    TERRORS. 

him  of  his  command  on  my  own  responsibility,  though 
I  am  supposed  to  be  at  the  head  of  this  army.'  He 
laughed  rather  bitterly. 

'  Such  a  fellow  is  a  disgrace  to  us  all/  remarked  the 
brigadier  emphatically.  '  A  bully,  a  fire-eater,  and 
a' 

'A  dirty  coward,'  finished  Shields  for  him.  'You 
may  as  well  say  it  at  once.  I  agree  with  you.  He  is 
a  disp'i'ace  to  us — he  and  a  few  more  like  him — a  dis- 
credit  to  the  whole  North.  The  actions  of  the  ruffianly 
crew  of  whom  he  is  a  most  admirable  example  do  more 
to  inflame  the  South  against  us  than  anything  else. 
Confound  them !'  he  fumed;  'it  is  beyond  their  com- 
prehension that  even  war  may  be  waged  in  a  gentle- 
manly fashion.' 

'  You  've  got  to  start  with  a  gentleman,  though,  you 
must  remember,'  laughed  the  brigadier. 

'I  know,'  said  Shields  discontentedly.  'Oh,  hang 
him  !  I  wish  I  were  well  rid  of  him.  He  is  reported 
missing  since  last  night,  and  it  may  be  that  some 
obliging  rebel  has  done  what  I  have  not  the  power  to 
do — relieved  him  of  his  command  by  a  timely  and 
well-aimed  bullet.' 

'  Not  while  there  was  a  tree  between  him  and 
Johnny  Reb,'  chuckled  the  brigadier.  '  I  am  afraid 
you  must  not  look  forward  to  any  such  easy  solution 
of  your  difficulties  with  him.' 

'  Pah  ! '  ejaculated  General  Shields  in  deep  disgust. 
'I' 

The  sentence  was  never  finished,  for  at  that  moment 
the  door  was  flung  open,  and  Orderly-sergeant  Cox, 
advancing  into  the  hut  and  saluting,  announced  : 

'  Colonel  Spriggs  ! ' 


THE    TRAILING    TERRORS.  101 

Closely  following  on  the  orderly's  heels  came  the 
subject  of  the  above  instructive  conversation,  and  it 
was  with  something  like  a  thrill  of  dismay  that  the 
watchers  in  the  loft  recognised  in  him  the  red-faced 
tyrant  from  whose  clutches  they  had  so  recently 
escaped.  Ephraim  gave  Luce's  arm  a  warning  squeeze, 
and  if  they  had  been  quiet  before,  they  lay  doubly  still 
now. 

General  Shields  returned  the  colonel's  salute  with 
exceeding  stiffness  and  the  scantiest  courtesy.  '  You 
were  reported  missing,  sir,'  he  observed  drily.  '  I 
congratulate  you  on  your  reappearance  after  the 
fio-ht.'  At  which  the  brigadier  put  up  his  hand  to  his 
mouth  to  conceal  a  smile. 

Colonel  Spriggs,  however,  did  not  appear  to  perceive 
the  sarcasm.  '  Yes,  general,'  he  replied,  '  it  was  pretty 
warm  work  while  it  lasted.  The  Rebs  got  us  in  a 
tight  place,  and  I  fear  that  a  considerable  number 
of  my  poor  lads  have  stayed  behind  on  the  field. 
But  no  matter,  sir.  The  "  Trailing  Terrors,"  with  Josiah 
B.  Spriggs  ahead,  will  go  on  till  the  last  man  is 
annihilated.' 

'I  wish  you  might  be  annihilated  to  start  with,' 
thousrht  General  Shields  within  himself.  Aloud  he 
said :  '  Your  reconnaissance  was  a  complete  failure, 
colonel.' 

'It  was,  sir,'  acknowledged  the  colonel.  'I  admit 
it.  But  it  was  not  my  fault.  I  made  the  most 
superhuman  efforts  to  induce  the  men  to  advance  in 
the  face  of  the  most  withering  musketry  fire  it  has 
ever  been  my  lot  to  stand  up  to.     But  they  refused.' 

'  I  thought  you  said  they  would  follow  you  any- 
where,' remarked  General  Shields  caustically. 


102  THE   TRAILING  TERRORS. 

'  Oh !  Ah !  yes,  certainly ;  so  I  did/  answered 
Spriggs,  a  little  flustered.  '  But  the  circumstances 
were  exceptional.  All  that  men  could  do  they  did. 
I  myself ' 

'  I  see,'  interrupted  the  general.  '  How  many  men 
do  you  suppose  you  lost  V 

'  Company  D  was  pretty  well  cut  to  pieces,  and 
of  the  rest — but  really  at  present  I  cannot  give  you 
accurate  information.     In  leadino-   a   charge    through 

O  o  o 

the  woods  I  was  struck  by  a  spent  ball,  which  yet 
had  sufficient  force  to  stun  me.  My  men  passed  over 
me  as  I  lay,  and  when  I  came  to  myself  I  was  alone. 
What  came  of  that  charge  I  cannot  tell  you;  but, 
doubtless,  the  men,  deprived  of  their  leader,  and  con- 
vinced already  of  the  desperate  nature  of  the  enter- 
prise, would  naturally  fall  back.' 

'  No  doubt,'  acquiesced  General  Shields ;  '  and,  no 
doubt  also,  your  failure  to  rejoin  your  regiment  com- 
pleted the  disaster,  while  at  the  same  time  it  gave 
rise  to  the  report  that  you  had  been  killed. — And 
may  I  be  forgiven  for  devoutly  wishing  j^ou  had 
been,'  he  added  mentally. 

'  My  failure  to  rejoin  my  regiment  was  due  to  the 
fact  that  I  could  not  find  it,  sir,'  answered  the  colonel 
with  some  heat,  for  thick-skinned  as  he  was,  he 
could  not  fail  at  last  to  detect  the  undertone  of 
contempt  in  the  general's  voice.  'Am  I  to  understand, 
sir,  that  you  imply  that  I  have  in  any  way  failed  in 
my  duty  ?' 

'  I  imply  nothing,  colonel,'  replied  General  Shields. 
'  I  may  be  permitted  to  say  this,  though,  that  I  wish 
most  earnestly  that  your  "Trailing  Terrors,"  as  I 
understand  you  call  your  men,  would  now  and  again 


THE    TRAILING    TERRORS,  103 

trail  in  the  direction  of  the  enemy  instead  of  so  per- 
sistently keeping  their  backs  turned  to  them.' 

'  General/  began  Spriggs,  but  General  Shields  held 
up  his  hand. 

'  And  I  am  not  to  be  taken  as  implying/  he  went  on, 
'  that  your  men  are  any  less  courageous  than  others 
under  my  command.  Bad  soldiers,  properly  led,  may 
win  a  battle.  Good  soldiers,  improperly  led,  will  very 
usually  lose  one.' 

At  this  stinging  speech  Colonel  Spriggs's  red,  bloated 
face  became  purple.  Here  was  an  implication  with 
a  vengeance,  and  there  was  but  one  inference  to  be 
drawn  from  it.  Moreover,  Spriggs  dared  not  attempt 
to  reply,  for  he  knew  well  enough  that  General 
Shields  detested  him,  and  only  waited  for  the  oppor- 
tunity of  direct  and  irrefragable  proof  of  his  cowardice 
to  make  short  work  of  him.  Therefore  he  swallowed 
his  wrath  and  merely  mumbled  something  about  having 
done  his  best.  But  he  registered  a  vow  in  his  heart 
that  four  and  twenty  hours  should  not  pass  without 
a  letter  from  him  to  his  friends  the  politicians,  in 
which  General  Shield's  name  should  figure  with  a 
very  black  mark  indeed  against  it. 

'  I  do  not  doubt  that  you  do  your  best,  sir,'  returned 
the  general ;  '  I  do  not  doubt  it  at  all,' 

The  irony  of  the  tone  was  sharp  almost  to  fierce- 
ness, and  Colonel  Spriggs  judged  it  wiser  to  give 
the  conversation  a  rapid  turn.  It  was  with  some- 
thing like  humility  that  he  remarked  : 

'  I  have  a  report  to  make,  general,  concerning  an 
incident  that  occurred  as  I  was  making  my  way  back 
to  the  lines  this  morning,' 

'  Proceed,  sir,'  said  the  general  stiffly. 


104  THE   TRAILING   TERRORS. 

'  I  had  fallen  in  with  some  of  our  fellows/  began 
the  colonel,  'not  my  own  men,  and  we  were  just 
casting  about  for  some  means  to  provide  ourselves 
with  some  breakfast — which  I  may  tell  you  we  did 
not  succeed  in  getting,'  he  added,  casting  a  longing 
look  at  the  table. 

'  Help  yourself,  sir,'  said  General  Shields  with  cold 
courtesy.  Spriggs  did  not  require  any  urging,  but 
rapidly  made  an  attack  upon  the  remains  of  the 
feast,  talking  as  he  ate. 

'  We  had  approached  one  edge  of  a  clearing  on  the 
other  side  of  these  woods,'  resumed  Spriggs,  'when 
an  exclamation  from  one  of  the  men  called  my  atten- 
tion to  a  singular,  I  may  say,  a  phenomenal  sight.  It 
was  nothing  less  than  a  balloon,  descending  into  the 
clearing.' 

'A  balloon  !'  echoed  the  three  officers. 

'  Yes,  gentlemen,  a  balloon.  It  instantly  became 
clear  to  me  that  this  was  a  device  of  the  enemy 
for  the  purpose  of  reconnoitring  the  position  of  the 
national  forces,  and  I  thanked  my  stars  that  I  was 
on  the  spot  with  a  handful  of  brave  men  to  stop 
their  treasonable  devices.' 

The  brigadier's  hand  again  went  up  to  his  mouth, 
and  General  Shields  inquired  in  a  dry  voice :  '  Am 
I  to  understand,  colonel,  that  what  you  saw  was  a 
species  of  air  galley,  filled  with  desperate  rebels  ?' 

'  Ah !  no,'  replied  the  colonel,  considerably  taken 
aback  ;  '  I  told  you  it  was  a  balloon.  Its  occupants 
were  two  in  number.' 

'Two  !'  interjected  General  Shields.  'You  and  your 
brave  handful  would  make  short  work  of  them,  eh  ?' 

'We    did,    sir,'  answered    Spriggs    with    a  ferocious 


THE    TRAILING   TERRORS.  105 

grin.  '  No  sooner  had  they  landed  than  I  rushed 
up  to  them,  and  after  a  determined  struggle,  during 
which  I  was  once  thrown  to  the  ground,  succeeded  in 
overpowering  them.' 

At  this  extraordinary  farrago  of  truth  and  lies, 
the  two  boys  interchanged  nudges. 

'The  ruffians  were  armed  to  the  teeth,'  went  on 
Spriggs,  'and  in  the  balloon  car  we  found  a  perfect 
armament.  They  had  evidently  meant  mischief.  I 
had  them  searched,  and  on  the  person  of  one  of  them 
were  found  plans  of  our  positions,  and  papers  loaded 
with  accurate  statistics  of  the  number  and  disposition 
of  our  forces.' 

Ephraim's  mouth  pursed  up  as  though  he  were 
about  to  whistle,  so  great  was  his  amazement;  and 
as  the  colonel  paused  to  take  a  drink  of  coffee,  General 
Shields  said  interrogatively :  '  You  doubtless  have 
those  papers  with  you  now  ?' 

'  Ah  !  no,'  answered  Spriggs  in  some  confusion.  '  I 
destroyed  them  at  once,  lest  by  any  inadvertence  they 
should  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy.' 

'You  did  wrong,  sir,'  said  General  Shields  with 
asperity.  'Those  papers  should  have  been  brought  to 
camp  and  handed  to  the  provost-marshal.  Well,  go  on 
with  your  story.' 

'  It  is  finished  in  a  word,'  resumed  Spriggs.  '  I 
regret  to  say  that  owing  to  the  extreme  carelessness 
of  the  men,  the  two  prisoners  took  to  their  heels  and 
escaped  into  the  woods,  while  I  was  absorbed  in  the 
contents  of  the  papers.' 

General  Shields  gave  vent  to  an  exclamation  of 
impatience.  This  man  tried  him  almost  beyond  his 
powers  of  endurance. 


106  THE   TRAILING   TERRORS. 

'  Of  course  I  sent  the  men  in  pursuit  of  the  spies,' 
said  the  colonel,  concluding  his  surprising  statement. 
*  They  did  not  belong  to  my  regiment,  and  they  did 
not  reappear ;  so  I  finally  made  my  way  to  the  camp 
to  report  the  circumstances  to  you.' 

General  Shields  thought  for  a  moment.  Then  he 
said  brusquely  :  '  Thank  you.  I  do  not  think  there  is 
any  more  to  be  said.  If  you  have  finished  your  break- 
fast, you  will  oblige  me  by  joining  the  remains  of  your 
command,  which  j^ou  will  find  some  two  miles  to  the 
rear  of  Lewiston.' 

Spriggs  rose  and  saluted.  '  General,'  he  said,  '  I  do 
not  like  to  admit  myself  beaten.  The  woods  are  full 
of  our  men,  and  it  is  well-nigh  impossible  that  those 
two  spies  should  have  passed  our  pickets.  With  your 
permission  I  will  take  half  a  company  and  thoroughly 
beat  the  woods.  As  likely  as  not  I  shall  run  them 
down.' 

'  Certainly,  colonel,  you  have  my  full  permission,' 
answered  General  Shields  with  great  alacrity,  '  You 
have  probably  heard,'  he  added,  with  curling  lip,  '  that 
an  advance  on  Port  Republic  is  just  now  in  progress. 
But  I  will  not  allow  a  little  thing  like  that  to  interfere 
with  your  laudable  desire  to  volunteer  for  a  dangerous 
service.' 

Colonel  Spriggs  bit  his  lip,  and  down  went  another 
black  mark  against  General  Shields.  But  his  desire 
for  revenge,  and  a  chance  to  exhibit  his  petty  tyranny, 
assisted  him  to  accept  the  snub  in  silence,  and  he 
simply  replied  :  '  I  am  obliged  to  you,  sir.  I  will  start 
as  soon  as  possible.' 

'By  the  way,  what  did  you  do  with  the  balloon?' 
inquired  Shields. 


THE   TRAILING  TERRORS.  107 

'  Left  it  where  it  was/  answered  the  colonel.  '  I 
could  not  very  well  do  otherwise.* 

'Hm!'  said  Shields.  'Well,  I'll  see  about  it  later. 
Good-morning,  sir.' 

Spriggs  saluted  again,  but  at  the  door  he  turned. 
'  I  suppose,  general,'  he  inquired,  '  that  if  I  come  up 
with  those  two  spies,  you  give  me  full  discretionary 
powers  V 

General  Shields,  who  was  already  deep  in  thought, 
heard  the  question  without  grasping  its  significance, 
and  muttered  absently,  '  Yes,  oh  yes,  of  course,'  where- 
upon Spriggs  immediately  left  the  hut. 

Three  or  four  minutes  later,  the  general,  coming  out 
of  his  reverie,  and  having  still  the  sound  of  the  ques- 
tion in  his  ears,  exclaimed  suddenly :  '  Discretionary 
powers  !     What  do  you  mean  by  that  ?' 

'  It  is  very  evident,'  answered  the  brigadier.  '  And 
you  have  given  him  full  permission  to  hang  the  two 
fellows  out  of  hand.' 

'  Confound  the  man  !'  muttered  the  general,  walking 
quickly  to  the  door.  But  Spriggs  was  already  out  of 
sight.  '  Well,'  he  said,  returning,  '  it  does  not  matter 
much,  for  after  all  they  are  spies,  and  it  is  a  hundred 
to  one  that  he  never  finds  them.' 

To  the  two  listeners  in  the  loft  it  mattered  a  good 
deal,  but  unfortunately  their  position  made  protest 
out  of  the  question. 

'  The  sight  of  that  red-faced  bully  always  sets  my 
right  foot  tingling,  so  great  is  ray  desire  to  kick  him,' 
went  on  the  general,  irritably. 

'  His  incompetence  is  on  a  par  with  his  cowardice. 
Imagine  now  his  allowing  those  two  men  to  escape.' 

'  His  anxiety  to  retake  them  was  very  genuine,'  said 


108  THE    TRAILING    TERRORS. 

the  brigadier.  '  It  seems  to  ine/  he  commented  shrewdly, 
'that  there  is  a  personal  motive  underlying  his  zeal, 
though  what,  or  why,  it  is  difficult  to  say. — What  are 
you  staring  at,  general?'  he  broke  off.  'Why,  good 
gracious !' 

Alas  and  alas !  From  the  loft  was  proceeding  a 
most  singular  shower.  Plop !  Plop !  Plop !  Plop ! 
one  after  another  in  regular  succession,  a  cascade  of 
biscuits  descended  from  the  planking  to  the  floor,  each 
as  it  fell  shivering  into  fragments  after  the  fashion  of 
the  renowned  Humpty  Dumpty.  No  wonder  that  the 
general  stared. 

'  Ha  !  ha  !  ha  !  ho  !  ho  !  ho  !'  roared  the  jovial  briga- 
dier. '  I  never  thought  of  that.  That  is  where  your 
breakfast  vanished  to,  general.  And  where  the  crackers 
are,  there  also  is  the  ham,  I  '11  bet  a  trifle.' 

'Come  out  of  that,  whoever  you  are!' ordered  the 
general  sternly.     '  Come  out  of  that  at  once.' 

This  denouement  was  due  to  the  unfortunate  Lucius, 
who,  in  wriggling  into  a  more  comfortable  position, 
had  burst  open  the  front  of  his  tunic,  in  which  a 
quantity  of  biscuits  had  been  bestowed.  As  the  first 
of  these  touched  the  floor,  Ephraim  grasped  his  comrade 
by  the  back  of  the  neck  and  pinned  him  down  as  in  a 
vice.  Then  as  the  general's  loud  command  rang  out, 
he  put  his  mouth  close  to  Luce's  ear,  and  just  breathed 
into  it :  '  Lie  low,  Luce,  lie  low.  I  see  a  way  out  er 
this  muss.  Don't  move  now  for  the  life  of  ye,  whatever 
ye  see  me  do.' 

'Come  out  of  that,  I  say,'  repeated  the  general. 
'  Do  you  want  me  to  come  and  fetch  you  ?' 

This  being  the  very  last  thing  that  Ephraim  desired, 
he  slowly  uncoiled  his  long  length,  and  swinging  upon 


THE    TRAILING   TERRORS.  109 

the  rafter,  dropped  to  the  floor,  where  he  stood  the 
very  picture  of  sheepishness,  his  mouth  wide  open, 
and  a  most  comical  expression — half-humorous,  half- 
terrified  appeal  in  his  big  gray  eyes.  But  he  took 
care  to  leave  the  piece  of  ham  behind  him. 

The  fat  brigadier  retreated  to  the  wall  of  the  hut, 
and  laughed  till  the  tears  ran  down  his  cheeks. 

'  Well,  if  this  doesn't  beat  everything  I  ever  saw  or 
heard  of!'  he  gasped.  '  What  will  you  do  with  him, 
general  ?  Shall  I  take  him  to  the  provost-marshal  for 
a  round  dozen,  or  will  you  have  him  shot  right  away  ? 
For  my  part,  I  think  he  deserves  the  rest  of  the  break- 
fast for  his  impudence.' 

'  Silence  !'  said  the  general  severely,  though  his  eyes 
twinkled. — '  What  were  you  doing  there  ?'  he  demanded 
of  Ephraim. 

The  Grizzly  drew  himself  up  and  saluted.  '  I 
beg  yewr  parding,  ginrul,'  he  answered  in  a  weak, 
whining  tone ;  '  1  war  jest  parsing  the  windy,  and 
when  I  looked  in  and  see  that  right  down,  first- 
clarse  spread,  I  tell  yew  I  jest  felt  I  had  ter  hev 
some.' 

Lucius  quivered  with  amazement.  The  Grizzly 
was  coming  out  in  a  new  line.  The  soft  Southern 
voice  with  its  clipped  syllables  was  gone,  and  in 
its  place  was  the  slow  drawl  and  marked  nasal 
twang  of  the  New  Englander.  The  very  expression 
of  the  face  was  changed,  though  this  Lucius  could 
not  see.  The  natural  shrewdness  was  gone  out  of  it, 
and  only  good-humoured,  dull  vacancy  reigned  in  its 
stead. 

'Upon  my  word,  you  are  a  nice  young  man,'  said 
the  general,  smiling   in  spite  of  himself  at  Ephraim's 


no  THE    TRAILING    TERRORS. 

ridiculous  appearance.  '  What  do  you  mean,  sir,  by 
making  free  with  my  breakfast  ?  Don't  you  know 
I  could  have  you  court-martialed  and  shot  for 
this?' 

'  Oh  lordy,  lordy  !  don't  you  do  that,  ginrul,'  whined 
Ephraim,  seemingly  in  a  paroxysm  of  terror.  'I'll 
never  dew  it  again.  Yew  don't  know  how  hungry  I 
war.  Lemme  off,  ginrul!  Lemme  off!'  He  clasped 
his  hands  supplicatingly. 

The  brigadier  exploded  again,  and  Shields,  with  a 
good-natured  laugh,  said  :  '  Well,  we  '11  consider  what 
is  to  be  done  with  you.  Who  are  you,  and  to  what 
regiment  do  you  belong?' 

'  Number  twenty, Company  D,the  "Trailing  Terrors,"' 
drawled  Ephraim. 

'  What !  You  are  one  of  Spriggs's  "Trailing  Terrors," 
are  you  ?  By  Jove  !  you  look  it.  Why  did  you  not 
come  out  just  now  wdien  your  commanding  officer  was 
here  ? ' 

'  Bekase  he  war  telling  lies ! '  boldly  answered 
Ephraim  to  the  supreme  astonishment  of  Lucius  ;  '  and 
I  never  could  abide  lies.' 

'Lies!'  echoed  General  Shields.  'What  do  you 
mean,  sir  ?  Are  you  aware  that  you  are  speaking  of 
your  superior  officer?' 

'  I  know  that,  ginrul,'  replied  Ephraim,  adding  with 
a  subdued  grin  :  '  I  ain't  saying  nuthing  worse  about 
him  than  I  've  heard  this  morning.  All  the  same,  he 
war  telling  lies  about  that  balloon.  I  war  thar,  so  I 
guess  I  should  know.' 

'You  were  there!'  repeated  General  Shields.  'I 
understood  the  colonel  to  say  that  none  of  his  men 
were  on  hand.' 


'  Ul)on  my  word,  you  are  a  nice  young  man,'  said  the  general. 


THE   TRAILING   TERRORS.  113 

'Waal,  I  war  thar,  whether  he  saw  me  or  not,' 
insisted  Ephraim. 

'Well,  what  happened?'  asked  the  general,  inter- 
ested. 

'  Part  of  what  he  said,  a  good  deal  he  didn't  say,  and 
a  heap  less  than  he  did  say,'  returned  Ephraim  oracu- 
larly. '  The  balloon  came  down  right  enufF,  and  thar 
war  two  folk  in  it.  They  got  out  and  were  surrounded 
instanter.  They  never  raised  a  finger  tew  resist. 
How  could  they  when  there  war  ba'nets  agin  their 
chests,  and  they  war  nuthing  but  a  couple  of  boys.' 

'  Boys !'  exclaimed  the  general  in  a  tone  of  incredu- 
lity. 'What  could  boys  be  doing  sailing  about  in  a 
balloon  ?' 

'  I  guess  that 's  their  business,'  answered  Ephraim. 
'  Anyhow,  thar  they  war,  and  what  they  said  and  what 
they  stuck  tew  war  that  they  had  made  a  balloon,  and 
jest  came  out  fer  a  bit  of  a  spree.' 

'But  the  arms  and  the  plans?'  interrogated  the 
general. 

'  Waal,  I  allow  they  had  a  leetle  gun  and  a  pepper- 
box ;  but  who  wouldn't  these  days  ?'  said  Ephraim. 
'  And  as  tew  the  plans,  they  warn't  nuthing  but  a  road 
map  of  the  valley  and  a  small  bit  of  paper  with  the 
news  of  the  war  so  far  as  it 's  got.  I  saw  that,  so  I 
know.' 

'But  what  about  the  struggle  ?'  put  in  the  brigadier. 

'I'm  coming  tew  that.  Ye  see,  the  kernel  he  ques- 
tioned the  two  boys,  he  did.  One  of  them  war  about 
nineteen  and  the  other  sixteen,  I  should  say,  or  thar- 
abouts.  Fact  is,  they  told  him  so;  but  he  couLl  git 
nuthing  out  of  'em  but  that  they  war  jest  out  fer  a 
spree.     The  leetle  one  up  and  told  him  straight,  says 

H 


114  THE   TRAILING   TERRORS. 

he :  "  Southern  gentlemen  don't  lie."  That 's  what  he 
.said.' 

The  officers  all  smiled.  '  Well  ?'  said  the  general  as 
Ephraim  paused. 

'  Waal,  sir,  he  wouldn't  begin  tew  believe  'em,  and 
because  he  couldn't  find  out  nuthing  agin  'em,  he  says : 
"  Cut  a  couple  of  ropes  from  that  balloon  and  string 
these  cubs  up  tew  the  nighest  tree."  That 's  what  he 
said.' 

'What!'  vociferated  the  general.  'Do  you  mean  to 
tell  me  he  gave  orders  for  them  to  be  hanged  ? ' 

'  Jest  that,'  nodded  Ephraim  ;  '  and  they  war  nuthing 
but  boys,  I  let  yew  know.  Waal,  the  men  didn't  like 
the  job,  and  thar  war  some  hanging  back  instead  of 
hanging  up  ;  and  the  kernel  he  got  madder  than  ever, 
and  when  the  older  boy  up  and  arsked  him  ter  let  'em 
orf,  he  up  and  kicked  him.' 

'  The  brute  !'  interjected  the  general,  and  Ephraim 
went  on : 

'  With  that  the  leetler  boy  got  mad,  and  he  runs  up 
tew  the  kernel  and  ketches  him  one,  two,  right  in  the 
face,  and  before  he  could  turn,  the  other  boy  grabbed 
him  round  the  legs  and  laid  him  on  his  back ;  and 
before  yew  could  say  "  Abe  Lincoln,"  the  two  of  'em  war 
off  tew  the  woods.' 

'Bravo  !'  exclaimed  the  brigadier.  'I  am  glad  of  it. 
Were  they  followed  ?' 

'  They  war,'  replied  Ephraim  ;  '  but  I  guess  the  men 
didn't  want  tew  ketch  them,  for  they  got  clean  off.' 

'  That  is  a  very  different  story,'  commented  General 
Shields,  when  Ephraim  had  brought  his  narrative  to  a 
close.  '  Still,  there  are  some  things  to  be  explained. 
The  presence  of  the  balloon  is  itself  suspicious,  and  it 


THE    TRAILING    TERRORS.  115 

is  incredible  that  they  should  have  made  it  them- 
selves.' 

'  That 's  what  they  said,  anyhow/  remarked  Ephraini. 

'  Quite  so  ;  I  understand  that,'  said  the  general.  '  I 
suppose,'  he  added  after  a  pause,  '  you  would  have  no 
objection  to  repeat  your  story  if  brought  face  to  face 
with  Colonel  Spriggs  ? ' 

'  Nary  a  objection,'  replied  Ephraim  with  alacrity ; 
'if  ye  fetch  him  back,  I  '11  say  it  all  over  agen.'  For, 
seeing  the  general's  mood,  and  having  heard  his  avowed 
detestation  of  Spriggs,  he  began  to  wish  that  he  had 
thrown  himself  upon  the  former's  generosity  to  start 
with.  However,  he  thought  within  himself  that 
there  would  be  no  difficulty  about  that  when  the  time 
came. 

General  Shields  scribbled  a  few  lines  in  his  pocket- 
book  and  tore  out  the  leaf  :  '  Colonel  Spriggs,  if  you 
come  up  with  the  two  men  who  escaped  from  the 
balloon  this  morning,'  he  read  out  to  his  officers,  '  you 
will  detain  them  as  prisoners  and  bring  them  before 
me,  without  taking  further  action.' 

'  I  '11  send  that  on  to  him  in  the  first  instance,'  he 
said,  signing  the  paper. — 'Orderly!'  But  there  was 
no  answer.     Cox  had,  for  the  time  being,  disappeared. 

'  Confound  the  fellow  ! '  said  the  general.  '  What  does 
he  mean  by  going  out  of  call  ? — No  matter,'  he  con- 
tinued to  Ephraim,  '  you  can  take  the  note  yourself. 
Your  regiment — what  is  left  of  it — is  a  couple  of  miles 
in  rear  of  Lewiston.  It  will  not  be  in  action  to-day. 
— Well,  why  don't  you  go  ?'  as  Ephraim  took  the  note, 
but  made  no  effort  to  depart. 

'  Ef  ye  please,  ginrul,'  replied  the  Grizzly  with  his 
most  sheepish  air,  '  I  'd  be  obleeged  tew  ye,  if  je  'd  let 


116  THE    TRATLTNG    TERRORS. 

me  take  the  ham.  I  guess  you  won't  want  it  now, 
and  I  left  it  up  thar.'     He  pointed  to  the  roof. 

General  Shields  burst  out  laughing.  '  Well,  you  are 
a  "  Terror,"  indeed,'  he  said.  '  Take  your  ham,  by  all 
means.     I  don't  want  it,  as  you  say.' 

Ephraim  instantly  swung  himself  up  on  the  rafter, 
and  while  making  a  great  clattering  among  the  planks, 
as  though  looking  for  his  ham,  contrived  to  whisper : 
'  Lie  low,  Luce.  I  '11  come  back  fer  ye,  wanst  they  go 
away.  We  're  close  ter  our  own  lines.'  Then  he 
dropped  down  again,  and  with  his  precious  burden 
hugged  close  to  his  breast,  saluted  awkwardly  and 
turned  to  the  door. 

'  Stay  !'  cried  the  general.  '  Before  you  go,  perhaps 
you  can  give  me  your  version  of  yesterday's  skirmish, 
in  which  the  "  Trailing  Terrors "  were  so  knocked 
about.' 

'  Waal,  I  didn't  see  much  of  it,'  drawled  Ephraim 
with  perfect  truth.     '  Ye  onderstand  ' 

What  he  would  have  said  was  interrupted  by  a  loud 
clatter  of  hoofs  outside.  A  horse  was  pulled  up  short, 
and  a  courier,  hot  and  perspiring,  rushed  into  the 
hut. 

'  General !'  he  panted.  '  The  advance  has  begun. 
The  cavalry  are  forward,  as  well  as  the  two  batteries. 
The  cavalry  have  reached  the  fords  without  serious 
opposition.' 

'Orderly  !'  shouted  General  Shields,  scribbling  again 
in  his  pocket-book. 

'  Sir,'  answered  Cox,  stepping  inside. 

'Send  that  note  to  General  Tyler. — My  horse 
outside  ?' 

'  Yes,  sir.' 


THE   TRAILING   TERRORS. 


117 


'  Good  !  Come,  gentlemen.  If  all  goes  well,  we  shall 
sup  with  Fremont  to-night.  If  not,  we  have  a  strong 
position  at  Lewiston,  and  there  we  will  await  the 
attack  which  is  sure  to  be  made  to-morrow,  if  we  fail 
in  our  plans  to-day.     Come  !' 

Without  another  word  to  or  thought  of  Ephraim,  he 
dashed  out  of  the  hut. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 


A   PAIR   OF   RELUCTANT   RECRUITS. 


^^  PHRAIM  followed  the  officers  to  the  door 


of 
the  hut  and  looked  out.  For  five  minutes  he 
'x'y  maintained  this  position  without  moving  or 
speaking ;  then  he  turned  inwards  again,  and 
with  his  usual  quiet  grin  on  his  face,  hailed :  '  Ye  kin 
git  down  now,  Luce.     I  reckon  the  coast  is  cl'ar.' 

Lucius  swung  down  to  the  floor  and  burst  out  laugh- 
ing. 'How  well  you  managed  that,  Grizzly!'  he  said. 
'  Do  you  know,  at  one  time  I  thought  that  you  were 
going  to  make  a  clean  breast  of  it,  and  tell  the  general 
that  we  had  been  in  the  balloon,' 

'  I  'low  I  had  some  thorts  er  it,'  answered  Ephraim  ; 
'  fer  he  seemed  dead  sot  agin  the  cunnel  himself  ;  but 
ye  never  know  what  '11  happen.  After  all,  they  war 
all  Yanks  in  hyar,  and  though  the  ginrul  seemed 
inclined  ter  be  perfeckly  fair  and  squar  'bout  them 
two  escaped  balloonists,  ye  carn't  tell  how  his  com- 
plexshun  might  hev  changed  ef  wanst  he  knew  he  'd 
got  his  claws  outer  'em.' 

'  That 's  so,'  agreed  Lucius.  '  It  was  best  to  be  on 
the  safe  side.     And  you  told  him  the  simple  truth.' 


A    PAIR   OF   RELUCTANT   RECRUITS.  Ill) 

"Ceptin'  'bout  the  "Trailin  Terrors,"'  chuckled 
Ephraim.  '  Ye  see  thet  came  inter  my  hed  and  sorter 
slipped  out  before  I  could  stop  it.  I  'low  I  war 
rather  sot  back  when  he  purposed  ter  put  me  up 
agin  the  cunnel ;  and  e£  it  hed  come  ter  thet,  I'd 
hev  owned  up  at  once.  But  it's  jest  ez  well,'  he 
went  on,  '  fer  ef  the  ginrul  hed  known  who  we  war, 
he'd  hev  been  bound  ter  rope  us  in  fer  a  while,  till 
he  'd  got  the  rights  er  the  story,  and  thar  's  no  tellin' 
when  we  'd  hev  got  home.' 

'  We  're  not  there  yet,'  said  Lucius  dubiously. 

'I  know  thet,  sonny;  but  we're  on  the  way;  fer 
now  we  know  whar  we  air,  and  we  won't  be  long  in 
gettin'  out  er  this,  I  tell  ye.' 

'Where  are  we?'  asked  Lucius.  'Somewhere  about 
Port  Republic,  I  gathered  from  what  was  said.' 

'Right,  bub.  We're  on'y  'bout  three  miles  from 
thar,  and  that's  whar  old  Stonewall  is,  holdin'  the 
bridge.  But  the  road  and  the  woods  between  this 
and  thar  is  choke-full  er  Yanks ;  so,  ez  ye  rightly 
remark,  we  ain't  thar  yit.  On  our  right  is  the 
Shenandoah,  ez  full  er  water  ez  an  egg  is  er  meat, 
and  on  our  left  is  the  Blue  Ridge,  so  we  carn't  do 
nuthin'  but  go  straight  on.' 

'We  can't  go  by  the  turnpike  either,'  said  Lucius, 
'for  I  fancy  there  would  be  a  pretty  to  do  if  two 
Federal  soldiers  were  caught  walking  in  the  direction 
of  the  enemy.' 

'  Thet 's  so,'  returned  Ephraim.  '  We  must  keep 
ter  the  woods  and  make  the  best  of  it.  It  won't 
do  ter  git  lost  in  'em  agen,  though,  and  come  wanderin' 
back  upon  Lewiston.  We  must  hold  close  by  this 
edoe.' 


120  A   PAIR   OF   RELUCTANT   RECRUITS. 

'Where  is  Lewiston?'  inquired  Lucius.  'It's  a 
name  I  don't  know.' 

'  I  reckon  it 's  thet  fine  big  house  way  back  thar, 
what  we  saw  when  we  fust  came  out  er  the  woods, 
or  nearly — whar  the  Yankee  cannon  wuz  planted. 
And  I  tell  ye  what  it  is.  Ef  old  Stonewall  whips 
Fremont  to-day — and  I  reckon  he  will — thar 's  goin' 
ter  be  the  biggest  kick-up  thar  ter-morrer  you  ever 
heard  on.  Shields  expects  it,  that 's  cl'ar ;  f er  didn't 
ye  hear  him  say  he'd  wait  the  attack  thar?' 

'  I  did,'  answered  Lucius  ;  '  but  if  the  bridge  is 
carried,  it  may  make  a  difference.' 

'Shucks!'  exclaimed  Ephraim  with  contempt.  'I 
reckon  ef  the  Yanks  hes  actually  got  across,  they  '11 
be  glad  enough  to  git  back  agin.  Why,  old  Stone- 
wall, he  's  thar  himself.' 

Such  was  the  confidence  that  this  general  inspired 
that  it  never  occurred  to  Ephraim  or  to  any  one 
else  in  the  valley  to  doubt  that  where  Jackson 
was,  there  also  would  the  victory  be. 

'Well,  then,  what  do  you  propose  to  do?'  asked 
Lucius. 

'  Waal,'  replied  Ephraim, '  ez  they  war  so  onniannerly 
ez  to  plump  in  upon  us  before  we  could  git  well  started 
with  our  breakfast,  and  ez  we  hev  the  whole  day  ter 
git  thar,  I  p'intedly  advise  thet  we  fortify  our  stum- 
niicks  fust  thing  we  do.' 

'Right!'  cried  Lucius.  '  I 'm  with  you  there.'  And 
with  much  laughter  the  two  boys  fell  to  work  upon 
the  provisions,  and  made  a  hearty  meal. 

'  I  feel  better  now,'  said  the  Grizzly,  wiping  his 
mouth  a  few  minutes  later.  '  Come  along  and  let  us 
take  a  squint  at  what's  goin'  on  outside.' 


A    PAIR    OF   RELUCTANT    RECRUITS.  121 

They  peeped,  the  one  through  the  window,  and  the 
other  through  the  door,  and  no  one  being  in  sight, 
issued  from  the  latter  into  the  open. 

'  This  hyar  is  mighty  pleasant,'  remarked  Ephraim, 
like  the  epicure,  serenely  full,  and  enjoying  the  warm 
June  sunshine ;  '  but  I  s'pose  we  'd  better  make  fer 
the  woods  in  case  any  wan  comes  along.' 

'  I  think  so,'  agreed  Lucius.  '  There 's  no  use  run- 
ning unnecessary  risks. — Quick,  Grizzly,  quick  !  Here 
come  some  soldiers.' 

'Run,  Luce,  fer  all  ye 're  wuth !'  cried  Ephraim, 
setting  the  example.     '  Maybe  we  've  not  been  seen.' 

It  was  a  foolish  proceeding,  for  they  had  been  seen 
before  they  took  flight,  and  had  they  remained  per- 
fectly still,  they  would  have  had  a  better  chance  of 
escaping  unfavourable  observation.  As  it  was,  their 
hasty  action  condemned  them.  Around  the  short  arm 
of  the  wood,  described  above,  swept  a  column  of 
infantry,  and  as  soon  as  the  officer  in  command  saw, 
as  he  supposed,  two  Federal  soldiers  in  full  flight, 
he  very  naturally  roared  out  '  Halt !'  at  the  top  of 
his  voice.  Ephraim  and  Lucius,  however,  paid  no 
attention  to  this  courteous  invitation,  but  continued 
their  race  towards  the  friendly  shelter  at  top  speed. 

But  they  were  soon  brought  up  standing.  '  If  you 
don't  stop,'  shouted  the  officer,  '  I  '11  fire  on  you. 
Halt !'  And  thus  adjured,  the  fugitives  unwillingly 
checked  their  flight  and  stood  still. 

'  Never  mind.  Luce,'  muttered  Ephraim ;  '  we  kin 
bluflf  'em,  I  reckon.' 

'  Why  didn't  you  stop  when  I  ordered  you  ?'  demanded 
the  officer  roughly  as  he  came  up. 

The   boys   were   silent.     To   give   the   true   reason 


122  A   PAIR   OF   RELUCTANT   RECRUITS. 

was  not  at  all  to  their  taste,  and  no  other  seemed 
just  then  to  tit  the  circumstances.  However,  the 
officer  went  on  without  waiting-  for  a  reply  to  his 
first  question : 

'  Where  were  you  running  to  ?' 

'  Makin'  fer  our  lines,  major",'  replied  Ephraim, 
recognising  the  oSicer's  rank. 

'So.     What  is  your  regiment  V 

'The  "Trailing  Terrors."' 

The  major  laughed.  'As  usual,'  he  said,  '  with  their 
backs  the  wrong  way.     Fall  in  here,  both  of  you.' 

'  Oh,  I  say,  major,'  whined  Ephraim,  '  our  regiment's 
three  miles  back  of  Lewiston.' 

'Is  it  ?'  answered  the  major.  '  I  know.  Well, 
I  '11  start  you  three  miles  in  front  of  Lewiston,  and 
show  you  a  little  fighting  for  a  change.' 

'  General  Shields  told  us  the  "  Terrors "  warn't  ter 
be  in  action  ter-day,'  protested  Ephraim,  still  hanging 
back. 

'Ptubbish!  None  of  your  cock-and-bull  stories  for 
me.     Fall  in !' 

'  But  my  comrade 's  wounded,'  declared  Ephraim 
desperately.     '  How  kin  he  fight  ?' 

The  major  was  a  good-humoured  man,  but  he  began 
to  lose  patience.  '  What  do  you  mean,  sir,  by  arguing 
with  me?'  he  cried,  striking  Ephraim  with  the  flat 
of  his  sword.  '  Do  you  suppose  I  don't  know  a 
couple  of  confounded  skulkers  when  I  see  them  ? 
There 's  nothing  wrong  with  your  comrade's  legs,  I 
should  say.  I  'm  not  going  to  stand  here  all  day. 
Tallin!' 

'  But  we  han't  got  no  guns,'  whimpered  Ephraim 
as  a  last  resource. 


A    PAIR    OF    RELUCTANT    RECRUITS.  123 

'Fall  in!'  roared  the  major. — 'Sergeant  Pierce, 
draft  these  two  cowardly  skulkers  into  the  middle 
of  the  column,  so  that  they  can't  run  away ;  and 
keep  your  eye  on  them  during  the  action.  If  they 
try  to  bolt,  cut  them  down. — Column,  forward !' 

The  sergeant  thrust  Ephraim  and  Lucius  into  the 
ranks,  and  the  column  moved  forward  at  the  double 
to  atone  for  the  short  delay. 

To  exchange  ideas  on  this  unpleasant  development 
was  impossible ;  but  Ephraim  glanced  at  Lucius  as 
they  trotted  along,  as  much  as  to  say :  '  We  are  in 
for  it  this  time,  and,  for  the  life  of  me,  I  don't  see 
how  we  are  going  to  get  out  of  it.'  The  column 
was  marching  two  deep,  and  the  sergeant  kept  abreast 
the  file  formed  by  the  two  boys.  Presently,  as  the 
men  fell  by  order  into  the  quick  step  once  more, 
Ephraim  addressed  the  grizzled  warrior  in  plaintive 
accents. 

'  See  hyar,  sergeant,'  he  said  ;  '  it  ain't  thet  we  don't 
want  ter  fight.  We  feel  powerful  like  fightin'  ef 
we  git  the  chance  ;  but  how  air  we  goin'  ter  do  it 
'thout  nary  a  gun  or  a  ba'net  ?' 

'  You  '11  git  'em  before  long,'  answered  the  sergeant. 
'  You  bet.' 

'  Whar  air  we  gwine  ter  ?'  next  inquired  Ephraim. 

'  Oh,  shet  yer  head,'  retorted  the  sergeant.  '  You  '11 
know  when  ye  git  thar.  Yew  two  "  Trailing  Terrors" 
is  going  ter  hev  one  day's  gunning  this  time,  I  tell 
yew.' 

Ephraim  glanced  again  at  Lucius.  The  boy's  head 
was  erect,  and  his  face  was  fiushed  ;  but  though  his 
eyes  glittered  with  excitement,  he  met  his  comrade's 
look    boldly    and    confidently    as    he    marched    along 


124  A  PAIR   OF   RELUCTANT   RECRUITS. 

with  easy  swinging  step.  He  certainly  had  not  the 
appearance  of  one  who  was  afraid. 

Grizzly  heaved  a  breath  of  relief.  Despite  his 
loyalty,  his  thoughts  would  recur  to  that  scene  in 
the  balloon ;  but  now,  though  full  of  fears  for  his 
friend's  safety,  the  old  pride  in  him  revived  in  full 
force,  and  he  knew  that,  whatever  desperate  move 
their  dangerous  position  might  necessitate,  he  would 
be  able  to  count  upon  Luce's  cool  and  hearty  co-opera- 
tion. His  feelings  insisted  upon  expression,  and  slily 
grasping  Luce's  arm,  he  gave  it  a  fervent  squeeze. 
In  return,  the  boy  smiled  up  at  him. 

'  I  dunno  what 's  goin'  ter  happen,'  thought  Grizzly  ; 
'  but  I  'low  it  '11  be  funny  ef  they  kin  persuade  Luce 
and  me  ter  shoot  our  own  friends.  By  time !  Luce 
war  sot  on  seein'  a  battle,  and  I  reckon  he 's  goin' 
ter  hev  his  way  this  time,  same  ez  always.  On'y, 
things  hes  got  twisted  upside  down  most  outrageous. 
And  it 's  all  along  er  me,  too.'  A  sharp  pang  of 
generous  self-reproach  shot  through  him ;  but  the 
current  of  his  reflections  was  rudely  turned  aside 
by  the  loud,  abrupt  command : 

'  Column,  halt !' 

The  blue  ranks  stood  fast,  awaiting  the  next  order. 

It  rang  out,  followed  by  others  in  rapid  succession. 
'  Form  line  on  the  leading  company !  Remaining 
companies  four  paces  on  the  right  backwards — wheel ! 
Quick  march  !  Number  one,  ej'^es  right — dress  !  Eyes 
front !  Number  two,  halt  —  dress  !  Eyes  front ! 
Form  line  !  Quick  march  !  Number  one,  number  two, 
number  four,  right — wheel !  Halt — dress  up  !  Eyes 
front!  Steady!'  And  so  the  column  moved  into 
line. 


A    PAIR   OF   RELUCTANT    RECRUITS.  125 

Lncins  was  the  front  man  of  his  file,  Ephraim  the 
rear,  and  when  the  rush  and  hurry  of  the  movement 
were  past,  and  they  had  opportunity  for  observation, 
their  eyes  rested  upon  a  strange  and  unfamiliar 
scene. 

They  had  reached  Port  Kepublic,  the  streets  of 
which  were  swarming  with  Federal  cavalry,  the 
advance  of  Shields's  army,  who  had  dashed  into  the 
village  by  the  fords  of  the  South  Fork;  while  a 
couple  of  field-pieces  rumbled  along  to  take  up  an 
advantageous  position.  Right  in  front,  over  the 
rolling  Shenandoah  ran  the  long  wooden  bridge,  so 
much  coveted  by  the  Federal  commander  as  the 
key  to  Jackson's  position,  and  one  of  the  field-pieces 
had  nearly  reached  the  end  which  abutted  on  the 
village.  On  the  heights  upon  the  opposite  side  of 
the  river  could  be  seen  Confederate  horsemen  and 
the  pickets  who  had  been  driven  in,  fleeing  for  their 
lives  upon  their  supports.  From  the  other  end  of 
the  village  came  the  crackling  rattle  of  musketry, 
telling  that  a  stand  of  some  sort  was  being  made, 
though  what  or  where  they  could  not  see.  Only, 
overhead  the  bullets  sang  with  angry,  venomous  wheep  ! 
And  Lucius,  unaccustomed  to  the  fearsome  sound,  felt 
his  head  duck  of  its  own  accord,  so  close  did  the 
fatal  singing  seem  to  his  ear. 

The  boys'  hearts  sank  within  them.  To  their 
inexperienced  eyes  it  looked  as  if  old  Stonewall  must 
be  caught  at  last.  The  terrible  field-piece  had  reached 
the  head  of  the  bridge,  unlimbered,  and  now  com- 
manded the  narrow  way.  And  other  approach  there 
was  none.  The  second  cannon,  planted  below  them 
in  the  village,  already  roared  its  angry  defiance  and 


126  A   PAm    OF   RELUCTANT   RECRUITS. 

hurled  its  iron  messengers  of  death  upon  the  wooded 
heights,  where  the  enemy  was  supposed  to  be. 

Flash !  A  bright  streak  of  light  far  up  on  the 
heights.  A  curling  wreath  of  smoke.  Then  boom ! 
A  shell  hurtled  through  the  air,  shrieked  for  an 
instant  like  a  fury  in  their  ears,  then  bang  !  crash  ! 
it  exploded  in  front  of  the  line,  hurling  frightful 
lagged  fragments  right,  left,  front,  rear — in  all  direc- 
tions. 

An  involuntary  moan  burst  from  Lucius.  The 
file  next  him  and  Ephraim  on  their  right  had  gone 
down,  and  the  two  men  who  had  composed  it  lay  a 
blood-stained  heap  upon  the  ground,  all  semblance  of 
humanity  gone,  and  only  a  few  twitchings  of  the 
shattered  limbs  to  tell  that  the  wretched  atom  of 
life  left  in  them  was  hastening  fast  away. 

'  Hold  up,  Luce  !'  whispered  Ephraim,  all  his  thoughts 
upon  his  friend,  though  he  felt  sick  with  the  horror 
of  the  ghastly  sight. 

Lucius  nodded  to  the  heights  in  front  of  him.  He 
could  not  turn  round.  His  tongue  had  slipped  forward 
between  his  teeth,  and  he  bit  it  till  the  blood  flowed 
into  his  mouth.  A  vague  wonder  possessed  him  as 
to  where  the  salt  taste  came  from — came  and  passed 
through  his  brain  like  lightning.  Then  his  head  went 
up  again  and  he  stood  still — so  still  that  he  excited 
the  admiration  of  his  left-hand  man,  who  muttered, 
'Ye  stood  that  well!'  Whereas,  as  a  matter  of  fact, 
Lucius  was  simply  stiffened  into  immobility.  Then 
something  seemed  to  give  way  in  his  brain.  The 
swift  thought  crossed  him,  'It's  soon  over,  anyway  ;' 
the  tension  of  his  limbs  relaxed,  and  all  fear  fled.  He 
had  received  his  baptism  of  fire,  and  his  heart  grew 


A  PAIR  OF  RELUCTANT  RECRUITS.       127 

strong  within  hira.  Another  pufF  of  smoke  from  the 
battery  on  the  heights.  Another  screaming  shell. 
And  Lucius  found  himself  idly  wondering  where  it 
would  fall,  and  careless  where  it  fell. 

'  How  odd,'  he  thought  within  himself, '  that  I  should 
feel   so  cool  now  in  this  unknown,  terrible  situation, 

while   in  the   balloon ' Fatal   recollection  !     The 

dreadful  memory  fell  upon  him  like  a  bolt,  and  his 
knees  shook  under  him  so  violently  that  he  nearly 
fell  to  the  ground. 

His  neighbour  looked  curiously  at  him,  unprepared 
for  the  sudden  change,  while  from  Ephraim  came 
again  the  warning  whisper,  '  Hold  up.  Luce  ! ' 

Recovering  himself,  Lucius  turned  and  laughed  in 
Ephraim's  face.  'I  was  thinking  of  Blue  Bag  just 
then,'  he  muttered. 

Utterly  taken  aljack  by  this  singular  statement, 
Ephraim  weakly  ejaculated,  'Oh  !'  and  finding  nothing 
more  to  say,  relapsed  into  silence. 

Sergeant  Pierce  stepped  through  the  broken  file 
to  the  front,  and  stooping  down,  picked  up  the  rifles 
from  the  road  and  removed  the  belts  with  their 
ammunition  pouches  from  the  two  dead  men. 

'  Hyar,  yew  two  "  Terrors," '  he  said,  '  ketch  hold  on 
these.  Yew  can't  say  yew  haven't  got  anything  to 
fight  with  now.  I  thought  it  wouldn't  be  long  before 
yew  war  provided.'  Lucius  received  the  rifle  and 
belt  with  a  little  giggle  which  he  could  not  entirely 
suppress.  He  w^as  feeling  strangely  light  and  cheer- 
ful. Tragedy  was  turning  to  comedy.  He  was  wear- 
ing the  clothes  of  one  dead  man  ;  why  should  he  not 
receive  the  arms  of  another  ?  He  longed  to  speak, 
to    say   something — anything.     He    had    the   greatest 


128       A  PAIE  OF  RELUCTANT  RECRUITS. 

difficulty  in  repressing  a  hilarious  shout  of  '  Hi ! 
Grizzlj^,  isn't  it  a  joke — two  young  Rebs  asked  to 
shoot  their  own  men?'  His  feelings  found  vent  at 
last  in  the  admonitory  remark  to  Pierce,  '  Mind  you 
keep  your  eye  on  us,  sergeant.' 

The  air  was  full  of  flying  missiles,  but  Lucius  no 
longer  ducked  his  head.  He  seemed  not  to  hear  them. 
The  sergeant  looked  down  at  him  from  his  superior 
height   and   grinned.      'I   guess  we   misjudged   yew,' 

he  said.     '  Yew  're ' He  stopped  suddenly.     The 

pupils  of  his  eyes,  still  fixed  upon  Lucius,  dilated ; 
the  upper  lip,  drawn  up  by  the  action  of  the  genial 
smile,  drooped  down  upon  the  lower  in  a  pout.  For 
an  instant  his  sturdy  frame  kept  its  position,  martial 
and  erect  to  the  last,  and  then  without  a  word  or 
a  groan  he  fell  dead,  shot  through  the  heart. 

Lucius  looked  at  him  and  did  not  blench,  but  his 
neighbour  growled  discontentedly,  '  This  air  gitting 
too  hot,  I  guess.  Ain't  we  never  tew  git  the  word 
to  fire?'  Then  that  man,  too,  fell  suddenly  dead.  It 
was,  as  he  had  said,  getting  remarkably  hot.  All  at 
once  on  the  crest  of  the  heights  three  more  batteries 
appeared,  the  black-muzzled  cannon  grinning  down 
upon  the  village.  But  the  guns  were  silent,  though 
the  cannoneers  stood  beside  them,  ready  to  teach 
them  their  one  deadly  monosyllable.  They  were 
waiting  for  something.  What  was  it  ?  Ah !  here  it 
comes. 

Down  the  hill,  marching  by  the  flank  in  a  strong, 
steady  gray  line,  came  a  regiment,  and  as  they  caught 
sight  of  the  bridge,  the  supreme  point  of  advantage, 
the  men,  carried  away  by  enthusiasm,  roared  out  the 
Rebel  yell,  and   rushed   towards    it   at   double  quick. 


A  PAIR  OF  RELUCTANT  RECRUITS.        129 

Alongside  them,  directing  every  movement,  rode  their 
general,  erect  upon  his  horse,  calm  and  serene  as 
though  his  troops  were  passing  him  in  review  order. 
To  be  led  by  him  !  To  go  in  under  the  eye  of  Stone- 
wall Jackson  !  Ah  !  there  was  not  a  man  there  but 
would  have  died  where  he  was  rather  than  face  about 
and  flee.  There  was  not  a  regiment  upon  the  hill 
that  did  not  envy  the  87th  Virginia,  marching  to 
take  the  bridge. 

Ephraim  bent  forward  and  grasped  Lucius  by  the 
arm.  '  By  time !  Luce,'  he  hissed  into  his  comrade's 
ear, '  it 's  old  Stonewall  himself  !  Lie  low,  fer  goodness' 
sake.'  For  he  feared  lest  a  shout  of  joy  from  Luce 
should  betray  them  to  the  Federals  for  what  they 
were. 

On  came  the  37th,  and  now  all  down  the  long 
Federal  line  ran  the  one  word  'Ready!'  and  the 
gunners  at  the  bridge  sprang  to  the  gun. 

Then  Jackson  was  seen  to  stop,  and  from  his  lips 
rang  out  a  sharp,  stern  word  of  command.  The  boys 
could  not  hear  what  he  said,  but  they  watched  his 
every  movement  with  blazing  eyes.  Standing  in  his 
stirrups,  Stonewall  waved  his  sword  towards  the  bridge, 
and  cried  in  ringing  tones :  '  Fire  one  round  upon 
those  people  at  the  bridge.  Then  charge  and  give 
them  the  bayonet !     Fire  !' 

He  dropped  the  reins  upon  his  horse's  neck,  and 
all  the  light  of  battle  dying  out  of  his  face,  raised  his 
hands  and  eyes  to  heaven  in  mute  supplication. 

Down  the  hill  swept  the  37th,  and  without  pausing 
to  wheel  into  line,  fired  one  volley  and  charged.  Before 
that  withering  fire  the  gunners  melted  away  from  the 
gun  like  snow  in  the  sun,  and  with  a  yell  that  set 


130  A    PAIR   OF   RELUCTANT   RECRUITS. 

the    old    hills    ringing",   the    Virginians    rushed    across 
the  bridge. 

'  Fire  !'  roared  the  Federal  commander,  and  one  thin 
sputtering  volley  rattled  from  the  ranks  where  Luce 
and  Ephraim  stood.  But  ere  the}^  could  reload,  from 
every  cannon  on  the  height  burst  forth  an  iron  hail, 
from  the  streets  in  rear  of  them  came  crashing  deadly 
volleys,  from  the  bridge  in  front  of  them  the  Virginians 
poured  upwards,  mad,  vengeful,  resistless.  That  flash- 
ing line  of  steel,  that  terrible  ear-piercing  yell — they 
were  more  than  mortal  man  could  stand.  The  gun 
by  the  bridge  was  taken,  the  gun  in  the  streets  was 
deserted.  It  was  hopeless  to  M^ait,  for  their  supports 
had  not  come  up.  Panic  seized  the  Federal  infantry, 
and  as  the  cold  steel  gleamed  in  their  ej'es,  they  broke 
and  fled. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

HOW   GENERAL   SHIELDS   SENT   A    DESPATCH   TO 
GENERAL   FREMONT. 

^HEN  the  stampede  before  the  onrush  of  the 
Virginians  occurred,  Ephraim  and  Lucius 
would  have  been  heartily  glad  to  holt  in 
the  opposite  direction — namely,  towards 
their  friends ;  but  two  circumstances  precluded  the 
possibility  of  such  a  course.  The  one,  that  without 
any  consultation  on  the  subject,  they  both  recog- 
nised the  danger  they  ran  of  being  shot  down 
or  bayoneted  by  the  men  of  the  37th,  if  they  ven- 
tured to  run  towards  them,  dressed  as  they  were  in 
Federal  uniforms.  For  in  the  fury  of  that  charge 
but  little  opportunity  was  likely  to  arise  for  either 
offering  or  receiving  explanations.  Another  and  even 
more  potent  reason  was  that,  however  their  inclina- 
tions might  have  prompted  them  to  such  a  step,  it 
was  absolutely  impossible  for  them  to  carry  it  out, 
for  the  rush  of  the  Federal  troops  behind  them  swept 
them  forward  with  such  an  irresistible  impulse  that 
they  had  no  choice  but  to  take  to  their  heels  in  the 
direction    of    Lewiston.      And    this    they  did   with   a 


132       HOW   GENERAL   SHIELDS    SENT    A   DESPATCH. 

hearty  good-will  which  the  roar  of  cannon  and  rattle 
of  musketry  behind  them  kept  very  fully  alive. 

The  retreat  was  not  conducted  in  what  is  called 
good  order.  It  was  a  regular  sauve  qui  peut,  and  it 
was  not  until  the  fugitives  ran  into  the  fresh  troops 
coming  up  to  their  support  that  a  stand  was  made 
and  something  like  a  rally  effected.  But  even  these 
were  of  no  avail,  and  the  advance  was  promptly 
checked  by  the  well-directed  shot  from  the  Confederate 
batteries,  which  were  now  all  in  position  upon  the 
opposite  heights  across  the  river ;  and  the  support- 
ing columns,  shattered  by  the  murderous  discharge, 
wavered,  recoiled,  broke,  and  in  their  turn  bolted 
back  to  the  shelter  of  the  woods  near  Lewiston.  As 
they  fled,  the  Confederates  limbered  up  and  pursued 
them,  keeping,  of  course,  to  the  north  side  of  the 
river,  till  at  last  the  discomfiture  of  the  Federals  was 
complete ;  and  Shields,  recognising  the  futility  of  any 
further  attempt  upon  a  position  so  well  defended, 
and  which  he  could  only  attack  at  such  absolute 
disadvantage  to  himself,  was  compelled  to  remain 
quiet  all  day,  actually  within  sound  of  the  cannonade 
which  told  of  the  struggle  in  which  Fremont  was 
engaged  alone  at  Cross  Keys. 

When  the  second  repulse  and  consequent  flight  took 
place,  Ephraim  and  Lucius  followed  the  example  of 
most  of  their  comrades  by  compulsion,  and  sought  the 
shelter  of  the  woods,  where  they  were  at  least  safer 
from  the  cannonade  than  in  the  open.  Looking  up 
the  valley  from  Lewiston  towards  Port  Republic,  a 
bird's-eye  view  would  have  revealed  three  marked 
topographical  features,  roughly  speaking,  parallel  to 
one  another.    On  the  right  was  the  Shenandoah  River ; 


HOW  GENERAL  SHIELDS  SENT  A  DESPATCH.   133 

next  to  this,  and  to  the  left  of  it,  open  country  and 
cultivated  fields  ;  and  farther  still  to  the  left,  the  dense 
forest,  three  miles  wide,  which  extended  to  the  base  of 
the  Blue  Ridge.  When  forced  to  descend  in  the 
balloon,  the  boys  had  entered  the  wood  on  the  side 
next  the  mountain,  and  their  flight  from  the  colonel 
and  subsequent  wanderings  had  carried  them  clear 
across  it  to  the  side  facing  the  river,  where  they  had 
fallen  in  with  the  little  hut  in  the  clearing,  which  was 
really  a  woodsman's  cabin  on  the  Lewiston  estate. 
They  were  now,  therefore,  still  on  the  same  side  as 
the  hut,  but  a  mile  or  so  above  it. 

'I  tell  ye  what  it  is.  Luce,'  said  Ephraim  in  his 
companion's  ear,  as  they  hurried  along,  '  we  air  goin' 
too  fast.  We  '11  be  in  the  Yankee  camp  at  this  rate 
before  many  minnits  is  over.     Let 's  hang  back  a  bit.' 

They  did  so,  gradually  slackening  their  pace,  and 
allowing  the  stream  of  fugitives  to  roll  past  them,  till 
at  last  being,  so  far  as  they  could  see,  alone,  they  sat 
down  under  a  tree  to  take  breath. 

For  a  moment  they  looked  at  one  another  in  silence. 
Then  Ephraim  said  with  a  good  deal  of  emotion  in  his 
voice :  '  I  am  the  most  or'nery  fool  in  a  town  whar 
there 's  a  good  few  er  the  sort.  I  thort  ter  let  ye  hev 
a  piece  er  funnin',  and  now  I  've  nearly  been  the  death 
er  ye  twice,  and  gracious  knows  what  '11  happen  yit 
before  w^e  git  through  with  this  one-horse  adventure.' 

*I  don't  call  it  a  one-horse  adventure,'  replied  Lucius. 
'  A  whole  team  would  be  more  like  it.  I  imagine  this 
is  what  you  might  call  a  pretty  crowded  day.  Eh, 
Grizzly  ? ' 

'  Waal,  I  'low  it  is  so  fur,'  admitted  Ephraim  with 
the  ghost  of  a  smile.     'Same  time,  I  dunno  what  P'd 


134   HOW  GENERAL  SHIELDS  SENT  A  DESPATCH. 

hev  done  ter  myself  ef  ennythin'  had  gone  wrong  with 
ye  in  thet  rumpus  jest  now.  I  'd  never  hev  got  over 
it  or  fergiv  myself.  By  time  !  ter  see  them  two  pore 
men  go  down  like  thet  alongside  us  all  in  a  moment. 
It  might  jest  ez  well  hev  been  you.'  He  blew  his  nose 
loudly,  and  furtively  knuckled  his  eyes. 

'  But  it  wasn't,  you  see,'  returned  Lucius  cheerfully. 
'  A  miss  is  as  good  as  a  mile,  Grizzly.  And  I  wish 
you  wouldn't  blame  yourself,  for  I  came  with  you  of 
my  own  free  will.' 

'  Ye  didn't  bargain  fer  all  this,  though,'  said  Ephraim 
mournfully.  '  Ye  didn't  'magine  ye  were  ter  be  stuck 
up  ez  a  target  fer  our  own  boys. — By  gracious ! '  he 
added  with  animation,  forgetting  his  troubles  in  the 
glorious  recollection,  '  didn't  they  give  the  Yanks 
howdy  in  fine  style  ?  See  'em  comin'  across  thet  bridge  ! 
Didn't  they  jest  nat'ally  tear  along  ?' 

'  They  did,'  answered  Lucius  with  glistening  eyes. 
'  It  was  splendid. — So  we  've  seen  a  battle  after  all,'  he 
went  on,  with  a  low  laugh  of  satisfaction. 

'Ah!'  replied  Ephraim.  'And  ye  warn't  sittin'  on 
the  ring  fence  nuther.' 

'  No,'  chuckled  Lucius,  '  and  thet  bull  er  Holmes's  is 
powerful  servigerous.'     He  laughed  Out  again. 

'  Garn  away  !  What  air  ye  givin'  me  ?'  said  Ephraim. 
'  But  I  'low,  Luce,  ter  see  ye  standin'  thar  in  the  ranks 
like  a  bit  er  rock,  it  war  marvellious.' 

'  I  can  tell  you  I  felt  badly  enough  at  first,  when 
those  two  men  were  killed  alongside  us,'  said  Lucius. 
'  I  might  have  been  a  thousand  miles  underground  for 
all  the  power  I  had  to  move.  I  was  simply  stiffened 
where  I  stood.  Then  it  all  seemed  to  go  away  and 
leave  me,  and  I  felt  quite  cool.     How  did  you  feel  ?' 


HOW  GENERAL  SHIELDS  SENT  A  DESPATCH.    135 

'  Pretty  bad,'  admitted  Epliraim.  '  But  I  war  so 
taken  up  with  thinkin'  about  you  thet  it  soon  went 
orf.'  He  made  this  remark  in  the  most  matter-of-fact 
way,  not  in  the  least  to  draw  attention  to  his  own 
unselfishness,  but  as  if  it  were  the  most  natural  thing 
in  the  world  that  Lucius  should  be  his  first  concern. 

'  Well,  I  'm  afraid  that  I  was  thinking  of  myself,' 
said  Lucius;  'but  after  the  first  burst  I  only  grew 
more  and  more  interested  in  the  fight.' 

'  Oh  yes,'  exclaimed  Ephraim,  struck  by  a  sudden 
recollection.  '  What  made  ye  turn  round  and  say  thet 
about  old  Blue  Bag  V 

The  fire  went  out  of  Luce's  eyes;  the  glow  faded 
from  his  cheeks  and  left  them  pale.  Again  the  memory 
of  those  awful  moments  in  the  air  overcame  him.  His 
voice  was  unsteady  as  he  answered :  '  I  don't  know 
what  set  me  thinking  of  it ;  but  all  of  a  sudden  the 
thouo-ht  crossed  me,  and  I  felt  as  if  I  should  die.  I 
never  shall  forget  it.  I  never  can  forget  it  as  long 
as  I  live.' 

He  shuddered  violently.  He  was  not  exaggerating. 
The  impression  made  upon  him  by  his  adventures 
in  the  air  had  been  supreme.  It  had  taken  fast  hold 
of  some  corner  of  his  brain  in  a  manner  which  perhaps 
the  doctors  could  explain,  and  whenever  imagination 
or  memory  called  it  forth,  it  threatened  to  unman 
him. 

Ephraim  considered  him  curiously.  He  could  not 
understand  the  almost  simultaneous  exhibition  of  such 
opposite  states  of  mind.  However,  he  had  wit  enough 
to  let  the  subject  drop,  and  only  answered :  '  Waal,  we 
won't  talk  about  thet  any  more ;  I  guess  it 's  over  now. 
See  hyar.  Luce,  I  think  our  best  plan  will  be  to  make 


136       HOW   GENERAL   SHIELDS   SENT   A   DESPATCH. 

fer  thet  little  cabin  agen  and  lie  low  thar  till  evenin', 
when  w^e  kin  make  a  break  fer  our  lines.' 

'I  don't  think  that  we  ought  to  venture  into  that 
loft  a  second  time/  said  Lucius.  '  If  the  general 
caught  us  there  again  and  recognised  you,  there  would 
be  trouble.' 

'  Thar  would,  shore  enuff,'  agreed  Ephraim ;  '  but  ye 
misonderstand  me,  Luce.  I  didn't  mean  to  hide  in 
the  loft,  but  ter  walk  right  inter  the  cabin,  lie  down 
and  take  a  snooze  till  it  gits  dark  enuff  ter  be  orf. 
Ef  any  one  comes  in  we  kin  jest  walk  out  agin.  We 
kin  always  say  we  're  makin'  fer  our  lines.' 

'  I  see,'  said  Lucius.  '  Very  well.  Besides,  it  doesn't 
follow  that  the  general  will  return.  But  are  you 
sure  that  you  can  find  your  way  there  ?' 

'Why  wouldn't  we?'  returned  Ephraim.  'It's  on 
this  side  er  the  wood,  and  not  so  far  away  et  thet. 
Come  on.' 

They  hugged  the  edge  of  the  wood,  and  after  walk- 
ing for  twenty  minutes  or  so,  again  reached  the  clear- 
ing in  which  the  log  cabin  stood.  No  one  was  in 
sight ;  but  still,  instead  of  approaching  it  from  the 
open  side,  they  preferred  to  skirt  the  wood  a  little 
further  and  reconnoitre  through  the  window  in  case 
of  accidents. 

At  last  they  stood  opposite  to  the  window,  and  here 
Ephraim  pulled  Lucius  back. 

'  You  stay  hyar,  Luce/  he  said.  '  I  '11  go  forward 
and  see  ef  the  coast  is  cl'ar.' 

'Not  at  all,'  answered  Lucius;  'you're  always  doing 
that  sort  of  thing.       I  '11  go  for  a  change.' 

'  No,  lemme  go/  protested  Ephraim.  '  What 's  the 
use  er  runnin'  yerself  inter  danger  'thout  any  reason  ?' 


HOW   GENERAL    SHIELDS    SENT   A    DESPATCH.        137 

'  The  danger  is  tlie  same  for  you  as  for  me,'  retorted 
Lucius.     '  I  tell  you  I  am  going.' 

'Then  we'll  both  go/  said  Ephraim  decidedly,  and 
accordingly  they  went. 

Cautiously  approaching  the  window,  they  peeped  in 
and  surveyed  the  cabin.  To  their  great  relief  it  was 
empty ;  but  before  Lucius  knew  what  he  was  about, 
Ephraim  stole  quietly  round  the  hut  and  surveyed 
the  open  space. 

'  It 's  all  cl'ar,  Luce/  he  said  in  a  tone  of  satisfac- 
tion. '  I  don't  see  nary  a  Yank.  They  're  not  fur 
orf,  though,  fer  the  camp  is  jest  beyond  the  woods 
thar/ 

'Then  shall  we  go  in  here?'  asked  Lucius.  'You 
think  that  is  the  best  thing  to  do  ? ' 

'  I  reckon/  returned  Ephraim  laconically,  and 
slipped  in  through  the  window  by  way  of  illustra- 
tion. 'By  time  !'  he  exclaimed  when  he  was  fairly  in, 
'  thar 's  been  some  one  in  hyar  sence  we  made  tracks 
out  er  it.' 

'How  do  you  know  ?'  inquired  Lucius,  scrambling  in 
to  join  him. 

'  Why,  all  the  food  is  gone/  sighed  Ephraim,  point- 
ing to  the  table  with  a  sigh.  '  I  war  looking  forward 
ter  a  fresh  supply  er  them  crackers  after  all  this  runnin' 
around.' 

'  I  've  got  plenty  here,'  said  Lucius,  slapping  his 
pockets  ;  '  and  you  've  got  the  ham.' 

'  It  won't  do  ter  gobble  up  thet  jest  yet,  Luce,'  ex- 
plained cautious  Ephraim.  '  Ye  kin  hev  jest  wan  slice 
ef  ye  're  sharp  set,  but  we  must  keep  some  fer  ter-night 
in  case  we  run  dry.' 

'  No,  I  'm  not  very  hungry,'  answered  Lucius  ;  '  but 


138       HOW   GENERAL   SHIELDS   SENT   A    DESPATCH. 

I  Ve  turned  most  unaccountably  sleepy  all  of  a 
sudden.' 

'Nuthin'  onaccountable  about  thet,'  said  Ephraim, 
'seein'  ye  never  went  ter  bed  at  all  last  night,  and  hev 
been  up  all  ter-day.  Lie  down  in  the  corner  and  take 
a  snooze.     I  '11  look  after  things.' 

'Why/  asked  Lucius,  surprised,  'aren't  you  sleepy, 
too  ?     You  said  you  were  just  now.' 

'  Ez  ter  thet,'  responded  Ephraim,  '  I  kin  hold  old 
man  Nod  orf  a  bit  yit,  I  reckon.  It  '11  maybe  suit 
better  ef  we  don't  go  ter  sleep  at  the  same  time.' 

'  I  see,'  said  Lucius  with  a  huge  yawn.  '  Well  then, 
you  lie  down,  and  I  '11  take  the  first  watch.' 

'  Shucks  !'  ejaculated  Ephraim.  '  What  does  it  mat- 
ter ?  Ye  air  half  over  already.  Go  ter  sleep.  I  '11  git 
my  allowance  by-and-by.' 

'  But,'  began  Lucius  drowsily,  '  you  always  do  every- 
thing.    I — I — don't  see — why' .     He  mumbled  on 

for  a  second  or  two,  nodded  heavily,  started  into 
semi-wakefulness,  nodded  again,  and  rolled  over  fast 
asleep. 

Ephraim  looked  down  at  him  with  an  expression  in 
which  tenderness  for  his  friend  and  self-reproach  were 
blended.  '  Pore  Luce,'  he  murmured,  '  ye  air  jest 
nat'ally  tuckered  out.  I  wish  I  hadn't  been  secli  a 
or'nery  fool  with  my  notions.  I  'd  give  suthin' 
ter  see  ye  back  agen  safe  and  sound  in  the  old 
home  et  Staunton.  Pray  God  I  '11  git  ye  thar  yit, 
though. 

He  stole  to  the  door,  and  going  outside,  planted 
himself  with  his  back  against  the  logs  of  the  cabin, 
so  that  he  could  command  a  view  of  all  approaches 
by  the   front   or  sides.     For   he    rightly  judged   that 


HOW   GENERAL    SHIELDS    SENT    A    DESPATCH.        139 

only  skulkers  would  be  likely  to  enter  by  the  window, 
and  for  them  he  did  not  care. 

' "  Carry  me  back  to  old  Virginny," '  he  hummed 
softly  to  himself,  as  he  glanced  up  and  down ;  up 
to  where  he  knew  the  Federal  camp  lay  concealed 
behind  the  bend  of  the  woods ;  down  to  where,  though 
he  could  not  see  them  either,  he  knew  that  the  Con- 
federates were  still  standing  to  arms,  expecting  a  fresh 
attack  on  the  part  of  Shields,  and  wondering  why  it 
never  came.  But  Shields  was  too  astute.  It  was  as 
if  he  had  heard  the  remark  made  by  Jackson  to  his 
chief  of  staff,  when  the  latter  expressed  the  opinion 
that  Shields  would  make  a  more  determined  attack 
on  the  bridge  at  Port  Republic  before  the  day  was 
out.  'Not  he,'  said  Stonewall,  waving  his  hand  to- 
wards the  heights.  '  I  should  tear  him  to  pieces. 
Look  at  my  artillery.' 

Boom  !  boom  !  boom  !  came  the  sound  of  the  heavy 
guns  at  Cross  Keys,  and  Ephraim's  face  brightened 
as  he  pictured  the  struggle,  in  which  he  made  not 
the  slightest  doubt  Fremont  was  getting  very  much 
the  worst  of  it. 

'  Old  Stonewall  will  be  hyar  ter-morrer,'  he  thought, 
'and  then  thar'U  be  big  doin's.' 

Boom  !  boom  !  The  monotony  of  the  sound,  fraught 
with  no  matter  what  deadly  meaning,  began  to  weary 
him.  He  straightened  up  and  walked  slowly  up  and 
down  in  front  of  the  cabin.  He  was  fearfully  tired, 
and  the  desire  for  sleep  threatened  to  overcome  him 
even  as  he  walked.  But  he  shook  it  angrily  off, 
pinching  himself  into  wakefulness,  until  at  last  the 
desire  fled  from  him. 

The  hours  wore  on  to  mid-day,  mid-day  passed  to 


140       HOW   GENERAL   SHIELDS   SENT   A   DESPATCH. 

afternoon,  afternoon  dragged  towards  evening,  and  still 
he  kept  his  self-imposed  vigil,  pacing  up  and  pacing 
down,  leaning  against  the  wall  of  the  cabin,  or  occa- 
sionally stepping  discreetly  inside,  when  a  messenger 
or  a  patrol  hurried  by,  or  when  blare  of  bugle  or 
roll  of  drum  in  the  Federal  camp  beyond  the  trees 
seemed  to  indicate  a  movement  in  the  direction  of 
the  bridge. 

It  never  occurred  to  him  to  wake  Lucius,  who  still 
lay  wrapped  in  profound  slumber,  only  every  now 
and  then  he  stole  in  to  look  at  him  as  though  to 
satisfy  himself  that  the  boy  was  safe,  and  then  out 
again  to  his  sentry  go. 

About  four  o'clock  he  had  just  stepped  outside 
after  one  of  these  little  visits,  which  consoled  him  a 
ffood  deal  for  the  trouble  he  was  taking,  for  even 
to  look  at  Lucius  was  always  a  delight  to  Ephraim 
■ — he  had  just  stepped  outside,  when  his  watchful  eye, 
turned  in  the  direction  of  the  Federal  camp,  observed 
two  persons  coming  round  the  bend  of  the  woods. 

One  he  instantly  recognised  as  General  Shields ;  but 
with  the  features  of  the  other,  who  was  in  civilian 
dress,  he  was  unfamiliar.  Like  a  flash  Ephraim  was 
back  again  in  the  cabin,  peering  round  the  corner  of 
the  door  at  the  advancing  couple.  '  I  wonder  ef  he  's 
comin'  in  hyar,'  he  thought.  '  I  should  say  not,  but 
it 's  better  to  be  on  the  safe  side  these  days.  I  hate 
ter  wake  Luce  ;  but  I  reckon  it  '11  have  ter  be  done.' 

He  sped  to  Luce's  side,  and  bending  over  him,  shook 
him  strongly.  The  boy  stirred,  moaned  uneasily,  but 
did  not  open  his  eyes.  Ephraim  rushed  to  the  door 
and  back  again. 

'  Wake    up,   Luce ! '   he   called,   shaking    him    more 


HOW  GENERAL  SHIELDS  SENT  A  DESPATCH.   141 

violently  than  ever.  '  Wake  up  !  The  ginrul  's  out- 
side, and  ef  he  comes  in  and  ketches  rae  hyar,  thar  '11 
be  trouble,  ez  ye  said.     Wake  up  ! ' 

This  time  Lucius  opened  his  eyes,  but  only  to  close 
them  instantly,  and  fall  once  more  heavily  asleep. 

'  By  time ! '  muttered  Ephraim,  glancing  at  the 
window,  the  desperate  thought  occurring  to  him  that 
the  best  thing  to  do  would  be  to  heave  Lucius  straio-ht 
out,  as  the  most  effectual  way  of  awakening  him. 
Then  he  shook  his  head.  'No,'  he  said  to  himself, 
'  thet  '11  not  do.  He  might  yelp,  and  then  we  would 
be  spotted  shore  and  certain.  Whar  air  they  now  ? ' 
He  took  another  squint  from  his  vantage  point.  The 
general  and  his  companion  were  approaching,  saunter- 
ing slowly  along,  deep  in  earnest  conversation. 

Once  again  Ephraim  repeated  the  shaking  process, 
and  this  time  with  such  good  effect  that  Lucius  sat  up, 
rubbed  his  eyes,  stared  at  the  Grizzly  in  a  bewildered 
fashion  for  an  instant,  and  concluded  by  asking  where 
he  was, 

'  Wake  up  ! '  returned  Ephraim.  '  Ye  '11  soon  know. 
Through  the  window,  quick  !  Ah ! '  as  voices  were 
plainly  heard  outside,  '  it 's  too  late.  We  must  just 
face  it  out.     Maybe  they  won't  come  in.' 

His  next  glance  relieved  his  apprehensions.  Evi- 
dently the  unwelcome  visitors  did  not  intend  to  enter. 
They  were  walking  wide  of  the  hut,  not  looking  at  it, 
and  in  a  moment  or  two  would  have  passed  it  by. 
Ephraim  made  a  warning  sign  to  the  now  wide-awake 
Lucius,  as  fragments  of  the  conversation  floated  to 
them. 

'  So  you  see,'  General  Shields  was  saying,  '  it  is  of 
the  highest  importance  that  what  we  could  not  do  for 


142       HOW   GENERAL   SHIELDS  'SENT   A    DESPATCH. 

him  to-day,  General  Fremont  should  do  for  us  to- 
morrow. Whatever  be  the  result  of  to-day's  fight  at 
Cross  Keys,  he  must  effect  a  junction  with  me  to- 
morrow, and  to  that  end  those  despatches,  detailing  my 
plans,  must  be  in  his   hands  to-night.     I  know  it  is 

difiicult ;  but  do  you  not  think ' The  rest  of  the 

sentence  was  lost  in  the  distance,  as  the  two  passed  on, 

'Shall  we  get  through  the  window  now?'  asked 
Lucius,  as  the  voices  died  away. 

'  I  reckon  not,'  returned  Ephraim ;  *  they  might 
see  us  from  the  other  side.  Better  stay  whar  we  air 
till  they  air  out  er  sight.  They  're  not  thinkin'  er  us 
jest  now.' 

'What  were  they  talking  about?'  inquired  Lucius, 
who,  having  been  further  from  the  door,  had  not  heard 
the  conversation  so  perfectly. 

'  I  dunno  rightly  ;  but  it 's  suthin'  about  gittin'  word 
over  ter  Fremont  about  ter-morrer's  fight.  Sh  !  Hyar 
they  come  back  again.  Now,  lemme  do  the  talkin'  ef 
they  come  in.' 

This  time  it  was  the  voice  of  the  civilian  that  reached 
them.  '  I  've  done  it  before  in  the  boat,  general,'  he 
was  saying,  '  and  I  don't  know  what  is  to  hinder  me 
doing  it  again.' 

'Well,  I  don't  want  to  confuse  you  with  suggestions,' 
said  General  Shields  in  reply.  '  You  know  your  own 
business  too  well  for  that.  You  are  sure  the  boat  is 
there  ? ' 

'  It  was  there  two  hours  ago,  snug  under  the  bank. 
I  don't  see  why  it  shouldn't  be  there  now.' 

'  You  know  our  new  word,  of  course  ? ' 

'  Oh  yes  ;  and  theirs  too,  unless  it  has  been  changed 
since  this  morninsf.' 


HOW  GENERAL  SHIELDS  SENT  A  DESPATCH.   143 

They  came  to  a  halt  opposite  the  door  of  the  cabin, 
behind  the  door  of  which  Ephraim  instantly  flattened 
himself,  while  Lucius  stood  stiffly  erect  in  a  corner. 

The  general  began  to  laugh.  '  If  you  can  take  a 
dip  down,  and  learn  anything  of  Jackson's  intentions 
before  you  return,  you  admirable  civilian,  I  shall  be  all 
the  more  pleased,'  he  said.  Then  noting  the  look  of  sur- 
prise on  his  companion's  face,  he  added  hastily :  '  I  was 
laughing  at  the  recollection  of  a  ridiculous  incident 
which  happened  in  there  this  morning.  I  '11  tell  you 
as  we  go  along.'  And  taking  the  civilian  by  the  arm, 
he  continued  his  walk  in  the  direction  of  the  camp. 

Ephraim  stole  a  cautious  glance  round  the  post  of 
the  door.  '  By  time  ! '  he  grinned,  when  they  were  out 
of  earshot.  '  Ef  he  'd  come  in  and  suspected  we  'd 
heard  thet  pretty  bit  of  news,  I  reckon  he  'd  hev  larft 
the  wrong  side  of  his  mouth.' 

'  Tell  me,  what  does  it  mean  ? '  asked  Lucius  eagerly. 

'  I  reckon  it  means  thet  the  admire-able  civilian,  as 
the  ginrul  called  him,  is  a  pesky  spy,'  replied  Ephraim. 

'  As  Colonel  Spriggs  said  you  and  I  were,'  laughed 
Lucius. 

'  Ezackly  !  On'y  this  yer  's  the  real  article,  wharas 
we  war  on'y  imitashuns.  Anyway,  this  is  the  way 
I  put  it  up.  The  civilian  thar — who  most  likely  ain't 
a  civilian  at  all — lies  got  a  pocketful  er  despatches  fer 
Ginrul  Fremont.  Likewise,  he  hes  got  a  boat  some- 
whar  over  thar  under  the  river  bank.  Likewise,  he 
perposes  to  row  across  above  our  pickets  and  hand  'em 
ter  Fremont.  Likewise,  his  intention  is,  the  orn'ery 
skunk,  ter  take  a  stroll  down  ter  Stonewall's  camp,  and 
find  out  all  he  kin.     Likewise ' 

'  Likewise,'  interrupted  Lucius,  '  you  've  got  an  idea 


144       HOW   GENERAL   SHIELDS   SENT   A   DESPATCH. 

into  your  head  that  those  despatches  would  be  better 
in  General  Jackson's  hands  than  in  General  Fremont's, 
and  you  are  wondering  if  we  couldn't  somehow  manage 
to  get  hold  of  them.' 

Grizzly  made  a  step  forward  and  caught  Lucius  by 
the  hand.  '  Right  ye  air,  Luce ! '  he  cried,  beaming 
upon  his  friend.  *  Ye  hev  struck  it.  Thet  war  my 
idee,  on'y  I  don't  ezackly  see  how  it 's  gwine  ter  be 
done.'     He  paused  to  put  on  his  considering  cap. 

'  I  'd  like  to  have  a  try  for  it,'  said  Lucius  with  a 
grimace.  *  You  see,  I  've  been  thinking  a  good  deal 
what  an  awful  row  there  '11  be  when  I  get  home — that 
is,  if  I  ever  do  get  home  ;  but  if  we  could  show  that 
we  'd  done  some  real  service  to  them,  why,  they 
wouldn't  have  so  much  to  say,'  he  finished,  having 
become  rather  mixed  in  his  pronouns.  '  Why  shouldn't 
we  make  for  the  river  and  head  him  off.  Grizzly  ? '  he 
continued,  after  a  pause.  *  We  've  got  guns  and 
ammunition  now.     I  believe  we  could  do  it.' 

'  Ef  we  on'y  knew  ezackly  when  he  'd  start,  and  how 
fur  away  his  boat  is,'  said  Ephraim  dubiously. 

'  Well,'  said  Lucius,  who  had  gone  to  the  door, 
'there  is  a  civilian  walking  towards  the  river  now. 
See,  he  has  just  come  round  the  bend  of  the  woods 
from  the  camp.  Of  course,  I  don't  know  whether  it 's 
your  admirable  civilian  or  not,  for  I  didn't  see  him, 
but ' 

'  By  time  !  It 's  him,  shore  enuff,'  broke  in  the 
Grizzly  excitedly.  '  Now,  Luce,  ef  we  're  goin'  ter  do 
ennythin',  we  must  do  it  sharp  and  quick.  We  carn't 
foller  straight  in  his  tracks,  thet  much  is  cl'ar.  He  's 
got  a  start,  and  we  must  allow  him  a  leetle  more. 
What  we  got  ter  do  is,  to  go  down  the  woods  a  space, 


HOW  GENERAL   SHIELDS   SENT   A   DESPATCH.        145 

and  then  make  a  bee-line  fer  the  river.  We  kin  steal 
up  the  bank  through  the  belt  er  trees  thet  fringes  it, 
and  ef  we  carn't  head  him  orf,  maybe  we  kin  stop 
him  before  he  gits  across.'  He  tapped  his  rifle  signifi- 
cantly. 

They  set  off  running  as  hard  as  they  could  through 
the  trees  for  a  hundred  yards  or  more,  and  then 
Ephraim  stopped  to  spy  out  the  land. 

'  He  's  goin'  very  slow,  Luce,'  he  said.  '  I  reckon  we 
shall  head  him  off  if  we  kin  git  thar  'thout  bein' 
stopped.  Now,  bub,  across  the  first  field  fer  all  ye  're 
wuth.' 

Three  wide  fields  intervened  between  them  and  the 
river,  and  the  risk  that  they  would  be  seen  was  very 
great.  They  were  forced  to  incur  it,  though  ;  and, 
besides,  they  hoped  that  their  blue  uniforms  would 
divert  suspicion  from  them  if  any  one  should  catch 
sight  of  them.  However,  they  crossed  the  first  and 
second  fields  in  safety,  and  concealed  themselves  in  a 
ditch  while  making  a  survey  of  the  third.  The  man 
was  out  of  sight  now,  but  it  was  only  the  conformation 
of  the  country  which  concealed  him.  As  a  matter  of 
fact,  the  boys  were  nearer  the  river  than  he  was. 

'  Thar 's  one  thing,  though,'  said  Ephraim,  as  they 
sat  in  the  ditch.  '  Thet  belt  er  wood  by  the  river  is 
bound  ter  be  full  er  Yankee  pickets.  We  han't  got 
the  countersign.  What 's  ter  be  done  ef  we  air 
stopped  ? ' 

'  Let 's  go  on  until  we  are  stopped,'  urged  Lucius  the 
bold. 

Ephraim  shook  his  head.  '  No,'  he  said  ;  '  that  '11 
not  do.  We  should  on'y  be  turned  back  agen.'  He 
thought  deeply  for  a  moment,  the  blue  vein  coming 

J 


146        HOW    GENERAL    SHIELDS    SENT    A    DESPATCH. 

out  in  the  middle  of  his  forehead,  as  it  always  did 
when  his  mind  was  concentrated.  All  at  once  he 
slapped  his  hand  upon  his  thigh.  '  By  time  !  I  've  got 
it ! '  he  exclaimed,  and  burst  out  laughing. 

'  What  have  you  thought  of  ? '  asked  Lucius  eagerly. 

The  Grizzly  made  him  a  rapid  communication,  the 
effect  of  which  upon  Lucius  was  to  cause  him  to  throw 
himself  flat  upon  the  bank  of  the  ditch  and  roll  about 
with  delight. 

'  Come  on  ! '  cried  the  Grizzly.  '  Now  mind  ye  do 
ezackly  ez  I  do,  and  when  ye  run,  keep  a  sharp  eye 
fer  the  boat.' 

They  set  off  again  at  a  quick  pace,  until  they  had 
cleared  the  field  and  entered  the  broad  belt  of  trees 
which  fringed  the  water.  Here  they  slowed  down, 
and  made  a  bee-line,  so  far  as  they  could,  for  the  river. 
In  five  minutes  or  less  they  heard  the  splash  of  the 
swollen  current  against  the  bank,  and  turning  their 
faces  sharply  down  stream,  moved  on  for  two  or  three 
minutes  more,  making  all  the  noise  they  could. 

'  Halt !     Who  comes  there  ? ' 

No  sooner  did  the  sharp  challenge  ring  out  than,  as 
if  at  a  signal  for  which  they  had  been  waiting,  the 
two  boys  burst  into  wild,  panic-stricken  yells :  '  The 
Rebs !  the  Rebs !  They  're  on  us  !  The  pickets  are 
driven  in ! '  Shouting  which  they  charged  madly 
down  upon  the  sentry  who  had  challenged  them. 
Seeing,  as  he  supposed,  two  Federal  sentries  in  full 
flio'ht,  the  man  never  doubted  for  a  moment  that  the 
alarm  was  genuine,  and  discharging  his  rifle  in  the 
air,  set  off  as  hard  as  his  legs  could  carry  him  through 
the  belt  of  trees  towards  the  fields,  beyond  which  lay 
the  camp. 


HOW    GENERAL    SHIELDS    SENT    A    DESPATCH.        147 

And  now  all  along  the  river  bank  the  cry  was  taken 
up,  '  The  Rebs  !  the  Rebs  ! '  and  everywhere  could  be 
heard  the  sound  of  feet  crashing  through  the  under- 
growth, as  the  pickets  bolted  in  upon  their  supports. 

Bursting  with  laughter,  Ephraim  and  Lucius  watched 
the  disappearance  of  the  man  immediately  in  their 
front ;  but  the  sharp  call  of  a  bugle  and  the  noise  of 
the  long  roll  upon  the  drums,  as  the  Federal  regiments 
sprang  to  arms  in  anticipation  of  the  threatened  attack, 
warned  them  that  there  was  no  time  to  lose,  and  they 
continued  their  race  down  the  bank. 

'  There 's  the  boat ! '  panted  Lucius,  after  a  few 
minutes.     '  I  see  her  nose  just  peeping  out.' 

'  Down  in  the  underbrush,  then ! '  said  Ephraim 
sharply,  '  and  don't  git  up  unless  I  call  ye,  or  ye  see 
thar  's  need.' 

'  What  are  you  going  to  do  ? '  asked  Lucius,  obeying 
the  order. 

'  Give  'em  a  taste  of  their  own  sauce,  I  reckon  ! 
Hush  !     Hyar  he  comes.     Lie  low  ! ' 

He  flung  himself  in  front  of  Lucius,  wdth  his  rifle 
at  the  port,  and  w^aited. 

Hurrying  footsteps  drew  nearer.  Some  one  was 
coming  on  at  express  speed. 

Ephraim  gripped  his  rifle  tight,  and  set  his  teeth. 

Swish!  The  bushes  parted,  and  the  civilian  stood 
before  him. 

'  Halt ! '  shouted  the  Grizzly,  bringing  his  bayoneted 
rifle  down  to  the  charge.     '  Halt !     Who  comes  thar  ?' 


('.L 


'^i')_ 


^^V 


CHAPTER    X. 

HOW   THAT    DESPATCH    WAS    INTERCEPTED. 

ALT  !  Who  comes  thar  ? '  repeated 
Ephraim,  as  the  civilian  paused,  regard- 
ing him  with  an  expression  of  supreme 
astonishment. 
There  was  reason  for  the  stranger's  amazement. 
He  had  moored  his  boat  well  above  the  chain  of 
sentries — a  good  quarter  of  a  mile,  indeed — for  no 
attack  could  be  expected  from  the  river,  and  natur- 
ally none  could  come  from  the  north  below  Lewiston, 
and  therefore  only  the  sentries  whom  Ephraim  and 
Lucius  had  scared  had  been  posted  in  the  former 
place,  and  none  at  all  in  the  latter. 

Consequently  the  civilian  was  puzzled.  His  first 
thought  was,  that  he  had  struck  a  point  too  low  down 
for  his  boat ;  his  second,  that  he  remembered  every 
detail  of  the  appearance  of  the  spot,  and  that  he 
could  not  possibly  be  mistaken.  However,  when,  for 
the  third  time,  the  peremptory  challenge  sounded  in 
his  ears,  he  put  as  good  a  face  as  he  could  upon  the 
matter,  and  answered  distinctly  and  with  confidence, 
'  Friend ! ' 


HOW   THAT    DESPATCH    WAS    INTERCEPTED.  149 

*  Advance,  friend,  and  give  the  countersign,'  ordered 
Ephraim,  to  the  huge  delight  of  Lucius,  with  whom  he 
had  many  a  time  and  oft  rehearsed  just  such  a  scene 
in  the  workshop,  little  imagining  it  would  ever  be 
carried  out  in  actual  practice.  The  stranger  advanced 
till  the  point  of  Ephraim's  bayonet  was  within  six 
inches  of  his  chest. 

'Halt!'  cried  Ephraim  once  more.  'That's  close 
enough.     Now  stand  and  give  the  countersign.' 

The  civilian  hesitated  an  instant.  He  could  not  tell 
where  the  suggestion  came  from,  but  somehow  the 
thought  flashed  into  his  brain  that  all  was  not  as  it 
should  be.     '  Potomac,'  he  answered  steadily. 

Ephraim  saw  the  momentary  hesitation,  and  read  it 
aright.  His  own  danger  made  him  alert.  '  Go  back 
the  w^ay  you  came,'  he  said,  keeping  his  rifle  at  the 
charge.     '  That  ain't  the  word.' 

It  was  a  bold  move,  but  it  told ;  and  the  Grizzly,  to 
his  own  relief,  noticed  the  expression  of  mingled 
surprise  and  satisfaction  on  the  stranger's  face. 

'  Shenandoah/  said  the  civilian.  '  Will  that  suit 
you?' 

'That's  better,'  answered  Ephraim,  but  without 
shouldering  arms.  '  Why  did  you  give  me  the  wrong 
one  fust  ? ' 

'I— 1"  was  thinking  of  yesterday,'  replied  the 
stranger  rather  confusedly. 

'  Ah  !'  retorted  Ephraim  drily.  '  Waal,  I  'm  put  hyar 
tew  think  on  to-day.     What  d'  ye  want  ? ' 

'What  do  I  want,  you  fool?'  replied  the  man 
angrily.  '  Why,  I  want  to  pass,  of  course.  Shoulder 
arms.' 

'Who  air  yew  orderin'  about?'  snapped   Ephraim. 


150  HOW    THAT    DESPATCH    WAS    INTERCEPTED. 

'And  yew  keep  a  civil  tongue  in  yewr  head,  mister. 
Don't  yew  be  so  ready  tew  call  names.' 

'  Well,  I  didn't  mean  that,'  said  the  stranger,  wishful 
to  conciliate  him.  '  I  was  anxious  to  pass,  that  is  all. 
I  am  sorry.     Let  me  pass,  please,  for  I  am  in  a  hurry.' 

'  Hurry  or  no  hurry,'  returned  Ephraim  stolidly, '  ye 
don't  pass  hyar.     Go  back,  or  I  '11  run  ye  through.' 

He  looked  so  fierce  as  he  said  it,  that  the  stranger 
actually  did  recoil  a  pace  or  two.  But  he  recovered 
himself  instantly,  and  said  smoothly : 

'  Look  here,  my  good  friend,  what  is  your  objection 
to  letting  me  pass  ?     I  gave  you  the  word.' 

'  But  yew  gave  me  the  wrong  one  to  start  with,' 
answered  Ephraim,  glowering  at  him. 

The  stranger  bit  his  lip.  He  saw  he  had  made  a 
mistake,  and,  in  endeavouring  to  explain  it,  he 
appeared  to  offend  the  sentry  still  further. 

'  I  said  it  in  jest — to  try  you — to  see  if  you  were  a 
smart  fellow,'  he  said,  with  a  little  laugh. 

'Oh,  did  yew  ?'  Ephraim  frowned  upon  him.  'Waal, 
yew  '11  find  I  'm  smart  enuff  fer  the  like  of  yew,  I 
guess.  Quit  now.  I  ain't  got  no  time  or  inclernashun 
fer  more  fooling.' 

'  Nor  I,  either,'  answered  the  civilian  haughtily. 
'  So  let  me  pass  at  once — or  ' 

'  Or  what  ? ' 

'  Or  I  '11  report  you.' 

'  Yew  '11  report  me  ! '  sneered  Ephraim,  advancing 
upon  the  man  until  the  ugly-looking  bayonet  just 
touched  his  coat.  'I  tell  yew,  ef  yew  ain't  out  of 
that  afore  I  count  ten,  thar  won't  be  much  left  of  yew 
to  report.     Quit,  I  say.' 

The  civilian  made  another  backv/ard  step.     '  Look 


HOW    THAT    DESPATCH    WAS    INTERCEPTED.  151 

here,  sentry,'  he  said,  '  this  is  getting  beyond  a  joke. 
I  tell  you,  I  have  important  business,  and  I  must  pass. 
I  've  given  you  the  word,  and  that  gives  me  the  right. 
Come,  now,'  he  wheedled  ;    '  don't  be  obstinate.' 

'  And  I  've  the  right,  and,  what 's  more,  it 's  my 
duty  tew  stop  any  one  I  consider  a  suspishus  charac- 
ter, word  or  no  word,'  replied  Ephraim.  '  Yew  come 
here,  a  soldier  dressed  up  ez  a  civilian ;  yew  gimme 
fust  the  wrong  word,  and  then  the  right  w^ord ;  and 
then  yew  try  tew  git  round  me  tew  let  yew  pass.  I 
say  yew  shan't  pass.' 

The  man  started  during  Ephraim's  speech.  '  How 
do  you  know  that  I  am  a  soldier  ? '  he  asked. 

'  By  the  set  of  yewr  shoulders  and  yewr  walk,' 
replied  Ephraim.  '  Any  one  could  see  ez  much  ez 
that.' 

*  Then,  perhaps,  you  know  who  I  am  as  well  ? ' 

*  No,  I  don't ;  but  I  guess  I  have  a  fairly  good 
notion  what  yew  air  ez  well' 

'  And  what  may  that  be  ? ' 

'  A  spy,'  answered  Ephraim  gloomily.  '  I  don't 
know  but  what  I  orter  run  yew  through  whar  yew 
stand  ef  I  done  right.  But  I  '11  give  yew  one  more 
chance.     Quit,  or  take  the  consequences.' 

'  Look  here,'  said  the  man  suddenly.  '  I  know  you 
are  only  doing  your  duty  according  to  your  lights ; 
but  if  you  knew  everything,  you  'd  find  you  were 
rather  exceeding  it.  I  tell  you  what,  I  am  all  right. 
There  's  nothing  wrong  about  me.  I  don't  want  a  fuss, 
or  to  lose  time.  Here  are  ten  dollars  for  your  trouble. 
Now  stand  aside,' 

'  Thet  's  enough  ! '  replied  Ephraim.  '  Thet  about 
sizes  yew,  I  should  say.     Now,  I  '11  not  only  not  let 


152  HOW    THAT   DESPATCH    WAS    INTERCEPTED. 

yew   pass,   but   I  '11    detain   yew  hyar  till  the  rounds 
comes  along.     Yew  're  my  prisoner.' 

The  man  looked  this  way  and  that,  flushing  and 
paling  with  rage.  '  You  time-honoured  thickhead  ! ' 
he  cried  at  last.  '  I  '11  tell  you  who  I  am,  and  then 
maybe  you  '11  alter  your  mind.  I  'm  Captain  Hopkins 
of  the  " Massachusetts." ' 

'  Ho  ! '  drawled  Ephraim.  '  Fust  yew  're  a  civilian, 
and  then  yew  're  a  soldier,  and  naow  yew  're  a  capting. 
Waal,  I  han't  altered  my  mind.  I  guess  ef  yew  kin 
bluff,  why,  so  kin  I.' 

'  Very  much  better  than  the  captain  can, '  thought 
Lucius  in  his  hiding-place. 

'Let  me  pass,  or  take  the  consequences,'  cried  the 
captain,  and  quick  as  thought  he  drew  a  revolver 
and  presented  it  at  Ephraim. 

Like  lightning  the  glancing  bayonet  swept  upwards, 
met  the  dull  blue  tube  with  a  clank,  and  away  went 
the  captain's  weapon  ten  feet  into  the  air  behind 
Ephraim,  splash  into  the  river. 

*  Yew  see,'  drawled  Ephraim.  '  I  guess  I  didn't  come 
down  in  the  last  shower  of  green  mud.' 

'Confound  you  !'  said  the  captain,  laughing  in  spite 
of  his  evident  vexation.  '  You  are  too  smart.  I  see  that 
I  shall  have  to  tell  you  everything.  Pay  attention  to 
what  I  say  now,  and  hold  your  tongue  about  it  when 
you  get  back  to  camp. — By  the  way,'  he  broke  off, 
'  why  didn't  you  run  in  with  the  rest  of  them  just 
now,  when  there  was  that  scare  ? ' 

'  Ef  I  war  to  go  runnin'  fer  the  camp  every  time 
thar  war  a  skeer  ter-day,  I  'd  never  be  done,'  answered 
Ephraim.  '  My  post  is  hyar,  and  hyar  I  mean  tew 
stay.     What 's  this  yew  want  tew  tell  me  ? ' 


now    THAT    DESPATCH    WAS    INTERCEPTED.  153 

'  Simply  this,'  replied  the  captain.  '  Mind  now,  hold 
your  tongue.  I  am  the  bearer  of  despatches  from 
General  Shields  to  General  Fremont.' 

Ephraim's  face  was  a  study.  He  shouldered  arms  at 
once,  and  gasped  out :  '  What !  Then  why  in  thunder 
didn't  yew  say  so  before  ? ' 

'  For  very  good  reasons,'  smiled  the  captain.  '  Come, 
now,  I  've  put  off  time  enough  already.  My  boat  is 
waiting  there,  and  ' 

Down  came  Ephraim's  rifle  to  the  charge  again. 
'  Boat ! '  he  echoed.     '  Yew  hev  a  boat  ? ' 

'  Certainly,'  said  the  captain.  *  You  didn't  suppose 
I  was  going  to  walk  across  the  river,  did  you  ? ' 

'  Back  with  yew  ! '  cried  Ephraim,  feinting  to  lunge. 
'  Good  land  !  yew  nearly  fooled  me,  Mister  Secesh.  So 
yew  thort  yew  war  going  tew  git  in  yewr  boat  ez  easy 
ez  that,  and  jine  yewr  friends  the  Rebs.' 

'  Frankly,'  said  the  captain,  *  your  idea  of  duty  is  an 
extreme  one  ;  but  I  suppose,  in  these  days  of  slipshod 
soldiers,  you  ought  to  be  commended  for  it.  Look 
here,'  he  unbuttoned  his  coat,  '  I  '11  show  you  the 
despatch,  and  may  be  that  will  convince  you.'  He 
pulled  out  a  large  envelope,  sealed,  and  addressed  to 
General  Fremont.  '  There,'  he  said.  '  Now,  are  you 
satisfied  ? ' 

With  a  sudden,  unexpected  movement,  Ephraim 
snatched  the  packet,  cast  it  to  the  ground,  and  set 
his  foot  upon  it.  'Keep  off"!'  he  cried,  as  the  cap- 
tain made  a  rush  to  recover  his  precious  document. 
'  Another  step,  and  yew  're  a  dead  man.  Yew  must 
think  me  green,  ef  yew  'magine  I  couldn't  see  through 
that  game.  Why,  any  one  could  write  Fremont's  name 
outside  an  envelope.     I  '11  bet  a  trifle  thar  's  things  in 


154  HOW   THAT   DESPATCH    WAS   INTERCEPTED. 

that  yew  wouldn't  keer  fer  Fremont  tew  see,  all  the 
same.' 

'Give  me  my  letter  !'  shouted  the  enraged  officer. 

'  It 's  my  letter  now,  and  yew  're  my  prisoner.  I'll 
give  it  and  yew  up  tergether  when  the  grand  rounds 
come.' 

Captain  Hopkins  changed  his  tone  again.  '  I  never 
knew  such  a  fellow  as  you,'  he  said.  '  You  mean  well ; 
but  you  have  no  idea  what  an  amount  of  valuable 
time  you  are  wasting.  I  swear  to  you  I  am  not 
a  rebel  spy,  but  what  I  told  you — the  bearer  of  a 
despatch  to  General  Fremont.  As  a  last  resource,  if 
you  will  let  me  go,  I  will  return  to  the  camp,  and 
bring  back  some  one  who  will  identify  me.  Will 
that  do?' 

Ephraim  appeared  to  meditate.  Finally  he  said : 
'  How  am  I  tew  know  yew  ain't  fooling  me  ?  I  might 
ez  well  have  a  prisoner,  naow  I  've  got  one.' 

'  You  have  only  my  word  for  it,  of  course,'  said  the 
captain. 

'  Oh,  waal,  I  guess  1  '11  trust  yew,'  answered  Ephraim 
after  another  pause.  '  Off  with  yew,  and  come  back 
ez  soon  ez  yew  kin  git.     I  '11  keep  the  despatch  safe.' 

The  captain  needed  no  second  telling,  but  turned 
and  ran.  Ephraim  hailed  him  when  he  had  gone  a 
little  way. 

'  Well,'  demanded  the  captain,  turning  round,  and 
fearful  of  a  bullet,  by  way  of  a  keepsake,  from  this 
very  officious  sentry.     '  What  is  it  ? ' 

'  Ef  yew  air  reely  Captain  Hopkins,'  said  Ephraim — 
'  and  mind,  I  'm  not  saying  yew  ain't — yew  won't  git 
me  inter  trouble  fer  this.  Yew  '11  tell  'em  I  only  did 
my  dewty.' 


HOW   THAT    DESPATCH    WAS    INTERCEPTED.  155 

'  Confound  you  and  your  duty  ! '  shouted  back  the 
captain,  and  sped  out  of  sight  among  the  trees. 

'  Sh  !  Keep  quiet ! '  said  Ephraim  warningly,  as  a 
curious  explosive  sound,  half  snort,  half  cough,  caine 
upwards  from  the  undergrowth.  '  Wait  till  he  gits 
well  out  er  the  road,  and  then  ye  kin  larf.  Hold  on 
till  I  track  him  down.' 

He  stole  through  the  belt  of  trees,  and,  to  his  great 
satisfaction,  observed  the  captain  hurrying  as  fast  as 
he  could  across  the  fields.  The  commotion  in  the 
camp,  too,  had  died  away,  now  that  it  had  been  ascer- 
tained that  the  alarm  had  been  a  false  one — like  so 
many  more  on  that  eventful  day.  But  Ephraim's 
common  sense  told  him  that  it  would  not  be  very  long 
before  fresh  sentries  were  placed  along  the  river ;  and, 
moreover,  the  outraged  bearer  of  despatches  would  lose 
no  time  in  returning,  to  prove  his  identity  and  reclaim 
his  precious  letter. 

The  Grizzly,  therefore,  made  all  haste  back  to  Lucius, 
whom  he  found  sitting  up  in  the  brushwood,  appar- 
ently the  picture  of  distress,  for  tears  were  stream- 
ing down  his  cheeks,  and  deep,  labouring  sighs  escaped 
his  chest. 

'  What 's  the  matter  ?  What 's  wrong  ?'  exclaimed 
Ephraim  in  real  concern.     '  What  ye  cry  in'  for  ?' 

'  Crying  !'  snorted  Lucius.  '  Ough  !  ough  !  Is  he 
gone  ?  Ough  !  ough  !  Oh  !  ho  !  ho  !  ha  !  ha !  ha !  I 
can't  help  it !  Ough  !  ough  !  I  must  laugh  if  I  'm 
killed  for  it !  Ough  !  Oh,  Grizzly,  I  never  saw  any- 
thing so  funny  in  my  life.' 

He  went  off  into  fresh  paroxysms,  while  Ephraim, 
to  whom  the  affair  had  been  serious  enough  in  all 
conscience,  grinned  quietly  in  sympathy. 


156  HOW    THAT    DESPATCH    WAS    INTERCEPTED. 

'  Waal,  I  'low  it  might  liev  sounded  funny  ter  ye, 
listenin'  thar,  Luce,'  he  said.  '  Somehow  it  didn't 
strike  me  in  thet  light  et  the  time.  I  war  so  sot 
on  gittin'  thet  letter,' 

'  Sounded  funny  ! '  echoed  Lucius,  his  laughter  ex- 
hausted to  a  helpless  giggle.  'It  wasn't  only  that. 
You  looked  so  funny.  Oh !  oh !  oh !  if  you  could 
only  have  seen  your  own  faces.' 

'  I  'low  he  looked  a  bit  sot  back  when  I  got  the 
ba'net  agin  his  chest,'  chuckled  Ephraim. 

'  Ah !  but  your  own  face,'  put  in  Lucius.  '  Don't 
forget  that.  And  the  w^ay  you  talked  to  him.  My  ! 
It  was  the  'cutest  thing  in  the  world.  What  put  it 
into  your  head  ?' 

'It  come  thar  ez  we  war  runnin'  along,'  returned 
Ephraim ;  '  an  fer  the  rest,  it  jest  argued  itself  out  ez 
it  went.  But  come,  thar  ain't  too  much  time.  We 
must  be  orf  out  er  this  before  he  gits  back.' 

'  In  the  boat,  of  course,'  said  Lucius,  rising. 

Ephraim  nodded.  '  Yas,  sir!'  he  answered  with  a 
light  laugh.  '  And  I  do  think  it  w^ar  mighty  nice  of 
'em  ter  hev  thet  boat  hyar  fer  us  jest  ez  we  wanted 
ter  git  away  and  all. — In  with  ye,  Luce.' 

Lucius  scrambled  down  the  bank,  and  catching  hold 
of  the  painter  of  the  boat,  drew  her  in  to  the  shore 
and  leaped  aboard ;  while  Ephraim,  with  the  all  im- 
portant document  in  his  hand,  stood  for  a  moment 
to  consider. 

'  It  won't  do  to  run  no  risk  er  losin'  this,  after  all 
the  trouble  we  've  been  at  ter  git  it,'  he  said.  '  Whar 
d'ye  reckon  I  'd  better  put  it  ?' 

'  Stow  it  in  your  cartridge  pouch,'  suggested  Lucius. 
'  That  will  be  as  safe  a  place  as  any  other.' 


HOW    THAT    DESPATCH    WAS    INTERCEPTED.  157 

'Rio'ht!'  said  Ephraim,  folding  the  letter  up  small 
and  placing  it  in  his  pouch.     '  Haul  her  in,  Luce.' 

'What  are  you  going  to  do?'  asked  Lucius,  bringing 
the  boat's  nose  again  to  the  bank.  'If  we  pull  out 
into  the  river,  we  shall  be  seen.' 

'Likely,  ain't  it?'  inquired  Ephraim  cheerfully,  as 
he  gathered  up  the  rifles.  '  No ;  we  '11  head  her  up 
stream  and  glide  along  the  bank  till  we  git  below 
their  outposts.     Ketch  hold  er  the  guns.' 

'  But  they  may  search  along  the  bank,'  demurred 
Lucius,  laying  the  rifles  in  the  bottom  of  the  boat. 

'Nary  a  doubt  er  that,'  replied  Ephraim,  stooping 
to  unloose  the  knot  of  the  painter  from  the  sapling 
round  which  it  was  tied.  '  But  et  first  they  '11  be  in 
sech  a  confusion  thet  I  'low  they  won't  be  able  ter 
think  er  everything  et  once.  And  the  fust  idee  '11 
nat'ally  be  thet  we  hev  gone  down  stream  and  then 
headed  fer  the  opposite  side.' 

He  untied  the  rope,  and  jumping  down  the  bank, 
slung  it  aboard  and  scrambled  in  after  it.  Instantly 
the  boat  swung  round,  obedient  to  the  current,  and 
with  her  nose  to  the  north,  drifted  rapidly  down 
stream. 

'Out  oars.  Luce!'  cried  Ephraim,  fumbling  in  the 
bottom  of  the  boat.     'Head  her  round.     By  time  !' 

He  stopped  suddenly  and  straightened  up.  At  the 
same  instant  Lucius  grasped  the  facts,  and  they  stared 
at  each  other  with  white,  scared  faces. 

There  were  no  oars  in  the  boat ! 


CHAPTER    XI. 


LUCIUS   BRINGS   THE   BOAT   ASHORE. 

yy^'OR  a  moment  Ephraim  was,  as  he  would  him- 

I'y^^  self  have  expressed  it,  '  sot  back,'  but  he  was 
;^  not  one  to  remain  so  long,  and  seizing  his 
ritle,  he  grasped  it  by  the  barrel,  and  using 
the  butt  as  a  paddle,  endeavoured  to  guide  the  course 
of  the  boat. 

'Quick,  Luce!'  he  exclaimed.  'Take  yourn,  and 
we  '11  see  what  kin  be  done.  The  pesky  Yank !  Of 
co'se  he  'd  hid  the  oars  somewhar  in  the  bresh,  so 
as  nobody  could  steal  his  boat.  By  time !  What  an 
or'ner}"  fool  I  war  not  ter  hev  thort  er  thet  before.' 

'  No ;  it  was  I  who  was  the  fool,'  corrected  Lucius, 
labouring  away  with  his  makeshift  oar.  '  You  had 
quite  enough  to  do  w^ith  the  letter  and  the  rifles.  I 
should  have  looked  to  see  if  everything  was  right.' 

'  Waal,  thar  's  a  pair  of  us,  then,  ef  ye  will  hev  it 
so,'  returned  Ephraim  gloomily.  '  Ennyway,  it  don't 
matter  a  corn  cob  now  wdiose  fault  it  war.  The 
mischief 's  done.  I  wouldn't  so  much  keer,'  he  added, 
beating  the  water  furiously  with  his  rifle-butt,  '  on'y 
wheti  that  clever  captain  comes  back  and  finds  the 
oars  whar  he  left  'em,  he  '11  nat'ally  know"  we  must 


LUCIUS  BRINGS  THE  BOAT  ASHORE.       159 

be  down  stream,  and  they  won't  be  long  gittin'  on 
our  trail.' 

Twilight  was  fast  settling  over  the  valley ;  for  the 
high  mountains  which  surrounded  the  cup  of  land 
in  which  this  living  drama  was  being  enacted,  effectu- 
ally shut  out  the  sun  as  the  day  declined,  and  Lucius 
remarked  hopefully  that  it  would  soon  be  dark. 

'  It  '11  not  be  so  dark  ez  all  thet  comes  ter  on  a 
June  night,'  responded  Ephraim  in  a  cheerless  tone. 
'Thar '11  be  plenty  er  light  fer  them  ter  take  pot- 
shots et  us  ez  we  drift  along.  Yit  it  ain't  so  much 
fer  thet  I  'm  keerin'.  I  'ra  thinkin'  er  the  despatch 
and  the  importance  it  'ud  be  ter  old  Stonewall  ter 
git  it  before  mornin'. — I  'm  afraid  we  ain't  doin'  much 
good  with  the  guns.  Luce.' 

The  crafty  captain  had  removed  not  only  the  oars 
but  the  rowlocks,  and  consequently  they  had  no  sup- 
port for  their  extemporised  oars,  but  were  obliged  to 
paddle  with  them  Indian  fashion,  holding  the  barrel 
high  and  sweeping  the  butt  through  the  water  on 
either  side  of  the  boat.  But  the  rounded,  highly 
polished  wood  offered  little  resistance  to  the  rushing 
stream,  and  the  current  swept  them  steadily  down, 
all  their  efforts  to  turn  the  boat's  head  proving  in- 
effectual. 

'  We  '11  make  the  Potomac  at  this  rate,  ef  we  go  on 
long  enough,'  said  Ephraim  grimly,  the  sweat  pouring 
off  his  face  as  he  strove  desperately  with  his  clumsy 
implement;  'and  then  all  we  hev  ter  do  is  ter  float 
gracefully  down  and  give  'em  howdy  in  Washin'ton 
city.'     He  laughed  in  the  very  bitterness  of  his  spirit. 

They  were  swirling  along  only  about  twenty  yards 
from  the  south  bank  ;  but  as  Ephraim  remarked,  they 


160  LUCIUS   BRINGS   THE    BOAT   ASHORE. 

might  as  well  have  been  a  mile  away,  for  by  no 
possibility  could  they  reach  it,  and  he  looked  longingly 
at  the  boughs  that  dipped  into  the  rushing  waters, 
thinking  how  different  matters  would  be  if  only  he 
could  lay  hold  of  them. 

Suddenly  there  was  a  spurt  of  flame,  followed 
instantly  by  a  loud  crack.  Ephraim's  cap  soared 
into  the  air,  mounted  for  a  moment  and  then  fell 
with  a  dull  splash  into  the  river,  while  its  owner, 
with  a  shrill  jeW,  tumbled  over  into  the  bottom  of 
the  boat. 

As  Ephraim  fell,  his  gun  slipped  from  his  nerveless 
fingers  and  sank  instantly  out  of  sight,  and  Lucius, 
hastily  drawing  his  on  board,  bent  terror-stricken  over 
his  friend. 

'Oh,  Grizzly!'  he  cried  in  piteous  tones.  'What 
is  the  matter  ?     Are  you  shot  ?' 

An  inarticulate  gurgle  from  Ephraim  was  the  only 
reply. 

'Speak  to  me !' Lucius  almost  shrieked.  'Oh!  oh! 
Surely  you  are  not  killed.  Speak  to  me.  Grizzly ! 
Speak  to  me  !     Oh  !  oh  !     Whatever  shall  I  do  ?' 

Thus  adjured,  Ephraim  slowly  opened  his  eyes 
and  looking  up  into  the  anxious  face  bent  over 
him,  remarked  quaintly,  though  without  the  least 
intention  of  being  humorous :  '  Hello,  Luce  !  Is  thar 
a  hole  right  through  my  head,  or  what  ?' 

So  great  was  his  relief  that  Lucius  broke  into  a 
joyous  laugh.  '  Grizzly,'  he  demanded  with  mock 
severity,  '  if  you  were  not  shot,  what  did  j^ou  mean 
by  tumbling  over ;  and  if  you  are  not  killed,  what  are 
j^ou  lying  in  the  bottom  of  the  boat  for  ?' 

'  Ye  may  say  thet.  Luce,'  returned  Ephraim,  uncoil- 


LUCIUS   BRINGS   THE   BOAT   ASHORE.  161 

ins:  his  loner  lencrth  and  strufi^fjlino-  into  a  sittinor 
posture.  'It  war  a  mighty  close  thing,  I  reckon. 
Look  at  thet.' 

He  lifted  his  face  as  he  spoke,  and  Lucius,  with  an 
exclamation  of  dismay,  saw  that  his  forehead  was 
blackened  with  powder,  and  that  one  of  his  eyebrows 
and  part  of  his  front  hair  were  singed  off. 

*Ye  see,'  said  Ephraim,  gingerly  touching  the  raw 
and  tender  skin,  '  a  leetle  more  and  ye  'd  hev  had  ter 
steer  yer  way  home  alone.  I  reckon  it 's  a  powerful 
frightenin'  sort  er  thing,  a  gun  bustin'  off  et  ye  when 
ye  least  expect  it.' 

'But  what  happened?'  asked  Lucius.  'I  wasn't 
looking.  That  is,  I  looked  up  in  time  to  see  your 
cap  go  off  and  the  gun  slip  out  of  your  hand.  The 
next  I  knew  you  were  on  your  back.'  He  gripped 
Grizzly's  hand  and  added  earnestly  :  '  I  'm  so  glad  you 
weren't  killed,  old  Grizzly.' 

'  I  'm  obleeged  ter  ye,'  answered  Ephraim,  still  very 
white  about  the  lips.  '  So  am  L'  His  voice  shook  a 
little  as  he  tried  to  explain  the  matter  to  his  comrade. 
'Ye  see,'  he  went  on,  'this  is  how  I  put  it  up.  Ez  I 
war  splashin'  around  with  the  gun-butt  in  the  water, 
the  trigger  must  hev  got  caught,  or  the  hammer 
drawn  back  by  a  bolt  and  let  go  agen.  The  next 
thing  I  knowed  war  a  rush  er  blindin'  light  past  my 
eyes,  a  wave  like  the  breath  er  a  bit  of  iron  from  a 
blacksmith's  furnace  on  my  forehead,  and  thet's  all. 
I  went  down  et  thet,  and  didn't  feel  like  stoppin'  ter 
arsk  questions.' 

'  Was  that  the  way  of  it  ? '  said  Lucius.  '  At  first  I 
thought  that  somebody  had  fired  at  you  from  the 
bank.' 

K 


162  LUCIUS   BRINGS   THE    BOAT   ASHORE. 

'By  time!'  exclaimed  Ephraim,  the  colour  rushing 
back  into  his  face,  and  his  nerves  steeling  again  as  he 
heard  this.  '  I  tell  ye,  bub,  that 's  ezackly  what  they 
will  be  doin'  before  very  long.  Why,  don't  ye  know, 
the  sound  er  that  rifle-shot  '11  bring  the  Yanks  down 
on  us  quicker  'n  ennj^thing.    Luce,  we  must  do  suthin'.' 

'What  are  we  to  do?'  asked  Lucius  helplessly.  'If 
we  could  not  manage  the  boat  when  we  had  both 
guns,  what  shall  we  do  now  that  we  have  only  one  ?' 

'  Waal,  then,'  inquired  Ephraim  drily,  '  do  ye  want 
ter  set  still  hyar  while  the  Yanks  make  a  target  er  ye  ? 
I  tell  ye  I  don't  feel  that  way  myself.'  He  made  a 
wry  face  at  the  thought  of  his  recent  experience. 

'I  don't  either,  you  may  be  sure,'  answered  Lucius. 
'  But  something  must  be  done. — I  have  it.  Grizzly ;  I 
have  it.' 

'What  hev  ye  struck?'  queried  Ephraim,  roused  by 
the  hope  in  his  voice. 

'  Why,  of  course,'  replied  Lucius,  '  let  us  swim  ashore 
and  leave  the  ugly  old  boat  to  take  care  of  herself.' 

'Bullee!'  cried  Ephraim,  unbuckling  his  cartridge 
belt    and    flinging    it    into    the    bottom    of   the    boat. 

'Bullee!     So   we    will.      Let's Thar's  just   one 

thing  agin  it,  though,  Luce,'  he  broke  ofi"  dismally. 

'What's  that?'  demanded  Lucius,  who  had  already 
removed  his  belts  and  taken  off"  his  coat.  '  What 's 
against  it  ? ' 

'  Why,'  answered  Ephraim,  looking  as  shamefaced  as 
if  he  had  been  confessing  to  a  grievous  sin,  '  it  ain't 
much,  maybe  ;  but  I  reckon  it 's  enufl".     I  can't  swim.' 

At  this  plain  statement  of  an  unpleasant  fact,  Lucius 
looked  aghast.  '  Why,  of  course  you  can't,'  he  said. 
'  I  'd    forojotten   that.'      Then    recovering    himself,    he 


LUCIUS   BHINOS   the    boat    ASHOTIE.  103 

added  cheerily:  'Well,  never  mind,  Grizzly;  I'll  do 
the  swimming.  You  just  grab  me  lightly  round  the 
back  and  kick  out  well  behind,  and  I  '11  get  you  there. 
'Tisn't  far.' 

Ephraim  shook  his  head.  'It  isn't  ez  fur  ez  all 
thet,  Luce,  I  'low,'  he  said ;  '  but  thar 's  a  tur'ble  strong 
current.  Ef  I  drew  ye  under  by  my  weight  and  felt 
myself  drownin',  I  might  ketch  hold  on  ye  and  drown 
ye  ez  well.  A  man  couldn't  well  know  what  he  war 
about  in  sarkumstances  like  thet,  ye  see.  So  I  'm 
obleeged  ter  ye  f  er  thinkin'  er  it ;  but  ef  it 's  all  the 
same,  I  'd  ruther  not  resk  it.' 

'  There  's  no  risk,'  urged  Lucius.  '  All  you  have  to 
do  is  to  hold  on  tight.'     But  Ephraim  was  obdurate. 

'Well,  what  are  we  to  do,  then?'  asked  Lucius  dis- 
consolately.    '  Every  minute  is  precious.' 

'I  know  thet,'  answered  Ephraim,  'and  the  best 
thing  ter  be  done  is  this.  Ye  swim  ashore  ez  soon 
ez  ye  kin.  I  '11  drift  on  in  the  boat,  and  maybe  it  '11 
be  dark  afore  they  find  me,  and  I  may  run  agin 
a  spit  or  suthin,'  and  so  git  ashore.  Thar's  no  use 
lettin'  'em  cotch  the  two  er  us.  Now,  is  thar  ? '  But 
he  looked  down  as  he  made  the  suggestion. 

'I  don't  wonder  you  are  ashamed  of  yourself  to 
propose  such  a  disgraceful  thing,'  cried  Lucius  indig- 
nantly. '  To  think  for  a  moment  that  I  would  leave 
you  in  the  lurch  just  on  the  chance  of  saving  my  own 
skin,  after  all  you  've  done  for  me.  Oh,  Grizzly,  what 
a  shame  to  suppose  I  would  do  it !' 

'  I  didn't  think  ye  'd  do  it.  Luce,'  mumbled  Ephraim, 
looking  a  very  crestfallen  Grizzly  indeed.  '  On'y  I 
thort ' 

'  I  don't  want  to  hear  what  you  thought,'  interrupted 


164  LUCIUS   BRINGS    THE   BOAT   ASHORE. 

Lucius,  who  was  undressing  himself  while  he  talked. 
'  I  Ve  made  up  my  mind  what  to  do,  and  I  'm  going  to 
do  it.     So  there.' 

'What  mought  thet  be  ?' inquired  Ephraim,  eyeing 
him  curiously. 

'I'll  show  you  fast  enough,'  answered  Lucius,  now 
stripped  to  his  shirt.  '  If  you  are  afraid  to  trust  your- 
self in  the  water  along  with  me ' 

'  Fer  fear  of  drownin'  ye.  Luce  ;  fer  fear  of  drownin 
ye,'  put  in  Ephraim  deprecatingly. 

'  Of  course.  What  else  ?  I  didn't  suppose  you  were 
thinking  of  yourself.  I  Ve  had  teaching  enough  to 
know  that 's  not  your  way.  If  you  're  afraid  of 
drowning  me,  then  there  's  only  one  thing  to  be  done 
— I  must  swim  ashore  myself  and  tow  the  boat  after 
me,  with  you  in  it.' 

'  See  hyar,'  began  Ephraim,  but  Lucius  cut  him 
short. 

'  Come  on,  now.  Don't  waste  time  in  talking. 
Fasten  the  painter  round  me.  You  can  tie  a  better 
knot  than  I  can.' 

'  It  '11  hurt  ye  monstrous.  Luce,'  said  Ephraim. 

'  Nonsense  !  It  will  not  hurt  at  all,  tied  around  my 
shirt ;  and  if  it  should,  what  matter  ?  It 's  better  than 
being  shot,  I  should  say.  Oh,  do  be  quick  !  Don't  you 
see  this  gives  the  best  chance  to  both  of  us  to  get  off 
scot-free  ?     Tie  it  tight  now.     Don't  be  afraid.' 

Under  this  incessant  urging,  Ephraim  fastened  the 
rope  round  Lucius  with  fingers  that  trembled  a  good 
deal  from  excitement  and  apprehensions  for  the  safety 
of  his  young  comrade.  But  at  last  it  was  done,  and 
Lucius  turned  and  faced  him. 

'  Now,'  he  said,  'you  can  see  that  the  current  is  very 


LUCIUS  BRINGS  THE  EOAT  ASHORE.       165 

strong  by  the  rate  at  which  we  are  travelling.  We 
are  not  far  off  the  shore ;  but  it  may  take  a  long  time 
to  get  there.  I  think  that  I  can  do  it,  though  ;  but  if 
not,  if  I  call  out  to  you,  or  if  I  should  sink,  haul  me  on 
board  again.  That 's  all  you  have  to  do,  besides  help- 
ing as  much  as  you  can  with  the  butt  of  my  rifle.' 

'  I  wish  ye  wouldn't,  Luce,'  implored  Ephraim.  '  The 
light  is  goin'  fast,  and  thar  's  no  rumpus  yit,  ez  fur  ez 
I  kin  hear.  Ef  we  hev  good  luck,  they  '11  miss  us 
altogether.  But  ef  they  come  and  pop  at  ye  while 
ye  're  in  the  water ' 

'Pooh!'  interrupted  Lucius,  'I  shall  be  all  right. 
Just  you  keep  a  sharp  lookout  along  the  bank,  and  be 
ready  to  haul  me  in  if  necessary.    Good-bye  !    I  'm  off!' 

He  waved  his  hand,  and  slipped  noiselessly  oflf  the 
gunwale  of  the  boat,  feet  foremost,  into  the  river. 

Meantime  a  very  diflferent  scene  was  being  enacted 
at  the  Federal  camp.  Hardly  had  General  Shields 
informed  himself  that  the  scare  created  by  the  boys 
was  a  false  one,  and  that  he  had  at  present  nothing  to 
fear  from  the  dreaded  and  ubiquitous  Jackson,  than 
his  attention  was  arrested  by  the  sudden  appearance 
of  his  '  admirable  civilian,'  Captain  Hopkins,  who  with 
disordered  dress,  flushed  features,  and  breathless  from 
running,  rushed  unceremoniously  into  the  presence  of 
his  commanding  officer. 

'  Captain  Hopkins !'  exclaimed  General  Shields  in 
astonishment.  '  Back  already.  Why,  you  've  been 
gone  little  more  than  an  hour.'  Then  as  his  eye  fell 
upon  the  captain's  untidy  dress  and  general  look  of 
tribulation,  he  added  anxiously :  '  There  is  nothing- 
wrong,  is  there  ?' 


166  LUCIUS    BRINGS    THE    BOAT    ASHORE. 

'  The  despatch  !'  panted  Hopkins.     '  I ' 


*  Don't  tell  me  anything  has  happened  to  that,' 
interrupted  Shields  vehemently.  '  Surely  not.  Surely 
not.' 

'  No,'  got  out  the  captain  between  his  struggles  for 
breath ;  '  only  a  leather-headed  sentry — a  question  of 
identity — won't  let  me  pass — send  some  one  back 
with  me.' 

'  Take  time  to  breathe,  sir,  and  you  will  be  better 
able  to  explain  yourself,'  fumed  General  Shields,  adding 
inconsistently :  '  Go  on,  sir.  Don't  keep  me  waiting 
all  day.     Let  me  hear  your  news.' 

The  captain  drew  a  few  deep  inspirations  and  felt 
better.  '  General,'  he  said, '  there  is  nothing  wrong ;  only 
a  little  provoking  delay.  I  found  a  sentry  just  about 
where  I  had  moored  my  boat,  and  because  I  was  in 
civilian  dress,  he  refused  to  allow  me  to  pass.' 

Found  a  sentry  alongside  your  boat!'  repeated 
General  Shields.  *  I  thought  you  had  moored  it  well 
above  the  line.' 

'  So  I  thought  myself,  sir,'  answered  Hopkins  ;  '  but 
evidently  I  was  in  error,  for  there  the  sentry  was.' 

'  But  you  had  the  word,'  said  Shields  in  a  puzzled 
voice. 

'  Of  course,  sir ;  but  I  'm  afraid  I  behaved  rather 
foolishly,  for,  having  an  idea  that  all  was  not  right,  I 
gave  the  wrong  word,  and  that  made  the  fellow  so 
suspicious  of  me,  that  even  when  I  gave  him  the  right 
word  afterwards,  he  would  have  none  of  me.' 

'  You  might  have  explained  your  business,  then,' 
suggested  the  general,  '  rather  than  have  incurred  this 
aggravating  delay.' 

'That  is  just  what  I  did  sir,'  protested  Hopkins.     'I 


LUCIUS  BRINGS  THE  BOAT  ASHORE.       167 

even  went  the  length  of  showmg  him  the  despatch,  and 
when  he  seized  it ' ■ 

'  What ! '  vociferated  the  general.  '  Do  j^ou  mean  to 
say  that  the  despatch  is  no  longer  in  your  possession  ?' 

'  Hear  me  out,  sir,'  said  Hopkins  uncomfortably,  for 
he  felt  that  at  the  very  best  he  made  a  ridiculous 
appearance  in  the  affair.  '  I  merely  held  the  despatch 
before  his  eyes,  when  he  instantly  seized  it  and 
declared  that  it  must  be  a  bogus  document,  and  I 
myself  a  rebel  spy.' 

'  Then  why  did  you  not  recover  the  document  by 
force  V  demanded  the  general  sternly. 

'  He  had  already  disarmed  me,  sir.  I  was  completely 
at  the  mercy  of  his  bayonet.' 

'  Well,  well,'  muttered  the  general  irritably.  '  Go 
on.' 

'  He  was  for  detaining  me  until  the  arrival  of  the 
rounds ;  but  I  gave  him  my  word  that  I  was  not  a 
rebel  spy,  and,  with  great  reluctance,  he  at  last  per- 
mitted me  to  depart  to  obtain  evidence  of  my  identity.' 

'  Retaining  the  document,'  mused  General  Shields. 
'  Why  did  you  not  appeal  to  some  of  the  sentries 
higher  up  ? ' 

'  You  forget,  sir,  they  imagined  themselves  driven 
in,  and  had  all  returned  to  the  camp.' 

'Then  why  had  this  fellow  not  followed  their 
example  ?'  inquired  General  Shields  sharply. 

'I  asked  him  the  same  question,  sir,  and  his  reply 
was  that  there  he  had  been  placed,  and  there  he 
meant  to  stay.' 

General  Shields  reflected.  '  I  will  go  with  you 
myself,  captain,'  he  said  at  last.  '  You  have  either 
been   dealing  with   a  very  staunch  soldier,  or  a  most 


16S  LUCIUS   BRINGS   THE   BOAT   ASHORE. 

acconiplished  rogue.  Pray  Heaven  you  have  not  been 
fooled  in  this  business.' 

'  Oh,  I  should  .say  not,'  answered  Hopkins  confi- 
dently. '  The  fellow  was  staunch,  as  you  say,  and  a 
bit  pig-headed — indeed  you  might  call  it  thick-headed 
— but  he  was  not  fooling  me.' 

'  We  shall  see,'  answered  the  general  drily.  '  It  is  an 
awkward  business,  very. — Major  Wheeler,'  he  added, 
turning  to  a  staff  officer,  who  stood  close  beside  him, 
'  order  a  corporal  and  ten  men  to  follow  me,  fifty  paces 
in  the  rear. — Now,  Captain  Hopkins.' 

They  walked  rapidly  across  the  fields,  followed  by 
the  corporal  and  his  men,  and  as  they  neared  the  river 
belt  the  general  said :  '  You  are  sure  you  can  go  straight 
to  the  place  ?' 

*  Certain,  sir,'  was  the  reply.  '  See,  here  is  where  I 
broke  cover  on  my  way  back.  We  have  only  to  follow 
the  trail  I  made  as  I  ran.' 

'Humph!'  muttered  the  general  as  they  pushed 
through  the  trees.  '  It  is  not  a  little  odd  that  your 
pig-headed  sentry  does  not  challenge  us. — Halt!'  he 
called  to  the  corporal.  '  We  will  go  on  alone.  March 
forward  when  I  hail  you.' 

They  went  on  for  another  twenty  paces,  and 
still  remained  unchallenged,  which  was  not  so  very 
odd  after  all,  considering  that  there  was  no  one  there 
to  challenge  them. 

'  It  is  very  singular,'  murmured  poor  Captain  Hop- 
kins. '  I  can't  have  mistaken  the  place. — General ! 
General !'  he  cried,  '  you  were  right.  I  have  been 
fooled.     The  boat  is  gone  !' 

General  Shields  uttered  a  fierce  exclamation.  '  I  '11 
be  hanged  if  I  didn't  think  so  from  the  very  first,'  he 


LUCIUS  BRINGS  THE  BOAT  ASHORE.       169 

shouted :  '  Here,  corporal,  bring  up  your  men. — You 
should  not  have  moved  from  this  spot,  sir,  when  once 
3^ou  lost  possession  of  those  papers/  he  thundered  at 
the  unfortunate  Hopkins.  'You  should  have  died 
rather  than  let  them  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  enemj', 
and  as  you  once  suspected  trickery,  there  is  no  excuse 
for  you.' 

'  That  was  at  first,  sir,'  stammered  Hopkins.  '  After- 
wards I  had  every  reason  to  believe  that ' 

'Silence!'  rajjed  Shields.  'Your  carelessness  has 
effected  enough  already  without  your  offering  lame 
explanations.  Heaven  only  knows  what  the  con- 
sequences of  this  wretched  fiasco  will  be  to  us. — 
Corporal ! ' 

'  Sir,'  answered  the  corporal,  saluting. 

But  before  the  general  could  issue  his  order,  what- 
ever it  was,  Hopkins,  who  had  been  groping  about  in 
the  undergrowth,  shouted  excitedly  :  '  Here  are  the  oars 
and  the  rowlocks,  general,  just  where  I  hid  them.  If 
the  fellow  has  cut  the  boat  adrift  and  gone  in  her,  he 
can't  be  far  off.' 

'Can't  he?'  sneered  Shields.  'And  how  do  you 
know,  sir,  that  the  rascal  had  not  a  boat  of  his  own 
under  the  bank,  and  simply  cut  yours  adrift  to  lessen 
the  chances  of  pursuit  ?' 

The  bitter  suggestion  appeared  to  confound  Hopkins 
for  a  moment,  but  he  answered  humbly :  '  Of  course, 
general,  we  must  allow  for  possibilities ;  but  if  I  may 
be  permitted  to  say  so,  if  the  fellow  had  no  boat  of 
his  own,  and  swung  out  into  the  stream  in  mine  before 
he  noticed  the  absence  of  oars,  the  current  would 
carry  him  rapidly  down  stream.  He  could  not  land 
either  on  one  side  or  the  other.' 


170  LUCIUS   BRINGS   THE   BOAT   ASHORE. 

'No,'  sneered  the  general  again  ;  '  and  with  a  current 
like  that,  I  think  we  might  as  well  look  for  him  at 
Harper's  Ferry  by  this  time.  Further,  you  seem  to  for- 
get, sir,  that  the  man  had  the  use  of  his  hands,  and  by 
clinging  to  the  trees  alongside  the  bank,  might  very 
well  work  the  boat  up  stream  in  the  direction  of  the 
enemy. — Moreover,'  he  muttered  vexedly  to  himself, 
'  we  have  no  proof  that  he  ever  left  dry  land.  Such  a 
fellow,  in  Federal  uniform,  too,  might  pass  anywhere. — 
And  I  '11  be  bound,  sir,'  he  flashed  out  at  the  miserable 
Hopkins,  '  that  your  carelessness  has  put  him  in 
possession  of  the  countersign.  Gad !  I  shall  have 
him  mounting  guard  outside  my  quarters  to-night  if  I 
don't  take  care.  This  must  be  seen  to. — What  was  he 
like,  sir  ?     What  was  he  like  ?     Describe  him.' 

'  He  was  a  tall,  loosely  made  young  man,  sallow 
complexioned,  and  with  a  quantity  of  black,  curling 
hair  upon  his  cheeks  and  chin,'  answered  Hopkins 
feebly,  utterly  taken  aback  by  this  new  view  of  the 
situation. 

General  Shields  started  as  if  he  had  been  stung. 
'By  George!'  he  said  under  his  breath.  'If  I  don't 
believe  that  was  the  identical  fellow  I  spoke  with  this 
morning,  and  who  told  me  that  rigmarole  about  the 
balloon.  Perhaps  I  have  been  too  hard  upon  Spriggs.  I 
have  been,  if  my  suspicions  are  correct.  And  if  so,  this 
is  a  dangerous  fellow.  We  must  lay  him  by  the 
heels  without  delay. — Corporal !' 

'  Sir,'  said  the  corporal  again. 

But  once  more  the  general's  order  was  stayed  upon 
his  lips,  for  at  that  moment  a  solitary  rifle-shot  rang 
out,  far  down  the  river.  It  was  that  caused  by  the 
accidental  discharge  of  Ephraim's  gun. 


LUCIUS  BRINGS  THE  BOAT  ASHORE.       l7l 

'  There  he  is  !  there  he  is  !'  began  Hopkins  excitedly  ; 
but  the  general  silenced  him  with  a  wave  of  his  hand. 

'  We  have  no  proof  of  that,  Captain  Hopkins,'  he 
said  coldly.  '  I  do  not  suppose  that  if  your  friend 
wishes  to  escape,  he  is  likely  to  go  gunning  on  the 
Shenandoah.  However,  we  will  take  measures  to 
ascertain. — Corporal !' 

'  Sir,'  answered  the  corporal  once  more,  and  this 
time  he  received  his  order. 

'  Send  five  of  your  men  up  the  river  to  thoroughly 
search  the  bank.  Take  the  other  five  with  you  down 
the  river  in  the  direction  of  that  shot.  Lose  no  time, 
and  leave  no  stone  unturned  to  secure  the  man  whom 
Captain  Hopkins  has  just  described.  You  noted  the 
description?' 

'  Yes,  general.' 

'  Very  good.  Be  off,  then.  Remember  the  fellow  is 
— or  was — in  Federal  uniform. — Now,  Captain  Hopkins, 
attend  to  me,  if  you  please.  You  will  return  to  camp 
at  once,  give  Major  Wheeler  my  compliments,  and 
repeat  your  description  of  this  man.  Then  add  that 
it  is  my  order  that  he  at  once  send  out  search  parties 
in  all  directions,  up  the  river,  down  the  river,  and  in 
and  about  the  woods,  with  instructions  to  bring  before 
the  provost-marshal  every  stray  Federal  soldier  they 
can  pick  up.  We  shall  recover  a  lot  of  stragglers  that 
way,  even  if  we  do  not  get  our  man.  And — er — one 
thing  more,'  as  Hopkins  moved  away.  '  When  you 
have  executed  this  order,  you  will ' 

'Yes,  general?'  said  Hopkins,  quailing  under  the 
former's  withering  look. 

'  Report  yourself  to  your  colonel  as  under  arrest, 
sir,'  snapped  the  general,  and  turned  upon  his  heel. 


172  LUCIUS    BRINGS    THE    BOAT    ASHORE. 

Left  alone,  General  Shields  made  a  careful  survey  of 
the  river  and  the  bank  in  his  immediate  vicinity,  but 
finding  nothing  for  his  pains,  returned  without  further 
delay  to  the  camp,  where  he  at  once  gave  orders  that 
the  pickets  should  be  doubled  along  the  line  next  the 
enemy,  and  also,  as  might  have  been  expected,  changed 
the  countersign  for  the  night. 

The  moment  Lucius  took  the  water,  it  became  plain 
to  him  that  he  had  entered  upon  no  light  undertaking, 
and  looking  round,  he  informed  the  Grizzly  of  this. 

'  Say,  Grizzly,'  he  cried,  '  this  is  going  to  take  me 
all  my  time.  The  current  is  tremendous.  Watch  out 
now,  and  the  moment  you  see  that  the  rope  is  taut, 
work  your  paddle  for  all  you  're  worth,  so  as  to  bring 
her  nose  round.' 

He  drew  a  deep  breath,  and  turning  half  over, 
cleft  the  water  with  a  powerful  side-stroke,  in  order  to 
bring  the  greatest  possible  force  to  bear  on  the  nose  of 
the  boat,  and  suddenly.  It  told.  She  stopped  with  a 
shiver,  the  water  churning  at  her  bows,  and  slowly 
her  nose  began  to  come  round.  Ephraim  worked 
madly  with  his  rifle-butt,  hissing  at  every  splash 
like  a  stable-boy  grooming  a  horse. 

'She's  round!'  he  cried  joyously.  'She's  round. 
Luce  !     Her  nose  is  ter  the  bank  ! ' 

On  hearing  this  satisfactory  piece  of  intelligence, 
Lucius  turned  over  on  his  chest  and  swam  with  frog 
strokes  towards  the  shore.  He  was  wise  enough  not 
to  attempt  this  in  a  bee-line,  but  moved  diagonally, 
content  to  progress  if  it  were  but  an  inch  at  a  time, 
so  long  as,  aided  by  Ephraim's  paddle,  he  could  keep 
the  boat's  nose  in  the   right  direction.     It    was    for- 


LUCIUS   BRINGS   THE    BOAT   ASHORE.  173 

tunate  for  him  that  he  was  young  and  strong,  and  that 
he  knew  how  to  husband  his  strength,  for  he  needed 
it  all  in  that  chill,  swiftly  flowing  stream. 

Presently  Ephraim  hailed  him  with  encouraging 
words  :  '  Ye  're  gittin'  thar,  Luce.  Ye  're  gittin'  thar. 
Air  ye  tired,  bub  ?  Let  yerself  drift  ef  ye  air.  Thar 's 
not  a  sign  er  any  wan  on  the  bank  above  or  below. 
My !  I  wish  I  could  swim,  Luce.  Ye  wouldn't  be  long 
in  thar.  Keep  it  up,  sonny.  Ye  're  gittin'  us  thar.' 
And  so  on,  with  many  soothing,  senseless  words  that 
fell  gratefully  upon  the  ear  of  the  almost  exhausted 
Lucius. 

The  boy  lifted  his  eyes  and  glanced  ahead.  The 
bank  was  now  but  thirty  feet  away ;  but  at  the  rate 
he  was  making  it,  it  was  not  unlikely  that  ten  minutes 
more  in  the  water  awaited  him.  He  could  not  bear 
to  think  of  it,  for  already  his  limbs  felt  numb,  and  his 
breath  began  to  fail  him.  He  shut  his  eyes,  set 
his  teeth  hard,  and  struck  out  blindly.  He  heard  the 
plashing  of  Ephraim's  sorry  paddle  behind  him,  and 
the  sound  was  as  the  noise  of  thunder  in  his  ears. 
His  strokes  became  feebler  and  less  frequent,  his  body 
swayed  more  and  more  to  the  rush  of  the  current,  and 
for  all  that  he  could  do,  the  rope  slackened  every  now 
and  then.  Still  he  kept  on,  beating  down  that  wild 
desire  to  hail  Ephraim,  who  he  knew  would  haul  him 
in  at  the  first  call,  and  slowly  struggling  towards  the 
goal  of  all  their  hopes,  the  shore.  Suddenly  his  heart 
gave  a  great  leap,  seeming  to  turn  over  in  his  chest  and 
stop  dead.  A  great  roaring  filled  his  ears,  his  head 
seemed  to  split  asunder  with  the  force  of  the  pain  that 
racked  it ;  a  shriek  which  made  but  a  bubblinsr  in  the 
water  about  his  mouth  burst  from  his  throat ;  and  as 


174  LUCIUS    BRINGS   THE   BOAT   ASHORE. 

a  dead-weight  seemed  to  drag  him  downwards,  he  threw 
his  hands  above  his  head. 

Something  touched  them,  and  he  gra.sped  wildly, 
clawing  at  the  yielding  support.  Joy !  It  was  a 
branch.  He  hung  on  with  all  his  remaining  strength, 
and  in  another  instant  Ephraim  had  made  fast  and 
dragged  him  into  the  boat. 

For  some  minutes  he  lay  down  there,  unable  to  speak 
or  move,  but  gradually,  as  the  Grizzly  rubbed  and 
chafed  him,  the  power  came  back  to  his  limbs  and  the 
sense  to  his  brain. 

'  Thet  's  well !'  cried  Ephraim,  overjoyed.  '  Oh,  Luce, 
it  made  me  sick  ter  see  ye  so  done.  By  time !  ye  did 
thet  pull  in  grand  style.     Air  ye  all  right  now  ?' 

Lucius  nodded. 

'  'Cause  ef  ye  air,'  went  on  Ephraim,  '  I  hev  got  an 
idee.  Ye  see  thar,  right  in  front  er  us,  is  a  cave.  It 's 
not  very  deep.  Fact  is,  it's  nuthin'  but  a  hole  in  the 
bank,  but  it  '11  serve  fer  a  restin'-place  till  we  kin  git 
some  notion  er  what  is  goin'  ter  happen.  Git  up  thar. 
I  '11  send  up  the  things.' 

Standing  on  the  seat  of  the  boat,  the  hole  was  just 
on  a  level  with  Luce's  chest,  and  with  a  little  assistance 
from  Ephraim  he  easily  climbed  in. 

The  Grizzly  had  passed  up  the  clothes,  the  rifle,  and 
the  two  belts,  when  something  arrested  his  attention. 
He  listened  intently  for  a  moment,  and  then  clinging 
to  the  floor  of  the  hole,  gave  a  backward  kick  with 
his  feet  that  sent  the  boat  spinning  out  into  the  stream, 
and  sprang  in  beside  Lucius. 

Scarcely  had  he  done  so,  when  a  loud  voice,  not  far 
away,  shouted  exultantly  :  '  I  see  him,  corporal !  There 
he  is ! ' 


CHAPTER   XII 


A    DUEL    IN    THE     DARK. 

S   this    alarming   shout    rang    in    their   ears, 

Lucius,  forgetting  his  fatigue,  sprang  to  the 

mouth  of  the  hole  and   made  as  if  he  would 

dive   again   into   the    water.      But   Ephraim 

held  him  back. 

'  Steady,  Luce  !' he  exclaimed.  'Lie  low!  It's  the 
boat  he  sees — not  us.' 

Thus  restrained,  Lucius  withdrew,  shivering  with 
cold,  to  the  farthest  extremity  of  the  hole,  where  he 
proceeded  to  rub  himself  down  and  dress.  Ephraim, 
meanwhile,  took  his  stand  at  the  entrance,  and  listened 
intently  for  any  indications  of  the  whereabouts  of  the 
enemy. 

They  were  not  long  in  coming,  for  presently  foot- 
steps resounded  on  the  bank  above,  and  a  voice  eagerly 
questioned  :  'Where  ?     Where  did  you  see  him  ?' 

'  Well,  I  didn't  exactly  see  him,'  answered  the  first 
voice,  much  to  Ephraim's  relief  ;  '  but  there  's  the  boat, 
and  I  guess  he  won't  be  far  ofi".' 

The  corporal  strained  his  eyes  after  the  boat  through 
the  gathering  darkness.  '  I  guess  it 's  empty,'  he  said 
after  a  long  look.     '  However,   squad,  attention  !     At 


176  A   DUEL   IN   THE    DARK. 

one  hundred  yards,  lire  a  volley  !  Ready  !  Present ! 
Fire!' 

Bang !  crash  !  splinter !  sputter !  as  some  of  the 
balls  struck  the  boat,  and  the  rest  fell  like  hail- 
stones in  the  water  round  about  her. 

Ephraim  chuckled  softly,  and  rubbed  his  hands 
together  in  delight.  '  We  air  jest  ez  well  out  er  thet, 
Luce,'  he  whispered.  '  I  reckon  wan  or  two  er  them 
Yanks  kin  shoot  straight.' 

'Load!'  ordered  the  corporal  above.  'You  four,' 
addressing  his  men,  '  follow  that  boat  along  the  bank, 
and  see  if  you  can  discover  any  signs  of  life  in  her. 
Fire  at  discretion. — You,  Whitson,'  to  the  man  who 
had  first  caught  sight  of  the  boat,  '  stay  here  and  show 
me  where  you  think  that  boat  came  from.  It  was  not 
in  sio-ht  two  or  three  minutes  a^o.' 

Whitson  pushed  through  the  trees  to  the  verge 
of  the  bank.  '  It  seemed  to  come  out  of  the  bushes 
just  here,'  he  said,  peering  over ;  '  but  I  don't  see  any- 
thing.' 

'  You  don't  suppose  the  fellow  is  going  to  rise  right 
up  and  look  at  you,  do  you  ? '  inquired  the  corporal 
with  fine  scorn,  adding  :  '  Did  you  hear  anything  ?' 

'  Not  a  sound,'  admitted  Whitson. 

'  Then  it 's  pretty  certain  there  was  no  one  in  her,' 
said  the  corporal.  '  Most  likely  she  got  caught  on  a 
snag  and  turned  in  here,  broke  loose,  and  drifted  off 
again.  The  general  was  right — the  fellow  has  either 
gone  up  the  bank  or  struck  inland.  All  the  same, 
we  'd  better  search  the  bank  hereabouts.' 

But  the  projecting  roof  of  the  hole  offered  a  sure 
protection  to  the  boys ;  and  though  more  than  once 
they  could  distinguish  the  trampling  of  the  feet  of  the 


A    DUEL    IN    THE    DARK.  177 

soldiers  above  their  heads,  their  hiding-place  remained 
undiscovered,  and  presently  the  search  was  discon- 
tinued. 

*  It 's  no  use,'  said  the  corporal.  '  He  is  not  here. 
Never  was,  I  should  say.  We  're  only  wasting  time. 
Let  us  go  back  to  camp. — Hello  !  What  do  you  sup- 
pose that  is  ?' 

That  was  Ephraim's  cap,  which,  supported  by  its 
own  lightness  and  the  water  beneath  it,  hove  in  sight, 
floating  gracefully  down  stream,  some  forty  yards 
away. 

Ephraim  saw  it  at  the  same  moment,  and  softly 
whispered  to  Lucius  to  come  and  see  the  fun. 

'  It  looks  like  a  cap,'  answered  Whitson,  peering 
through  the  gloom.  '  Blamed  if  I  don't  believe  it  is  a 
cap.' 

'With  a  head  inside  it?'  pursued  the  corporal,  also 
doing  his  best  to  see. 

'I  can't  say.     Shall  I  try  and  find  out  ?' 

The  corporal  nodded,  and  Whitson,  throwing  forward 
his  rifle,  fired.  The  ball  struck  the  water  some  feet 
beyond  the  cap,  which  still  moved  unconcernedly 
along. 

'Missed!'  cried  the  corporal,  firing  his  own  rifle 
immediately  afterwards.  '  That 's  better.  That  wiped 
your  eye.' 

His  bullet  had  struck  the  cap  slantwise  on  the 
crown,  turning  it  over,  so  that  it  immediately  filled 
and  sank  to  the  bottom. 

'  My  !' whispered  Ephraim  gleefully.  'It's  ez  good 
ez  shootin'  et  bottles  et  a  fair.' 

'  I  guess  it  was  only  a  cap,'  said  the  corporal,  reload- 
ing his  rifle  ;  '  but  we  can't  be  sure.     We  '11  report  the 

L 


178  A    DUEL    IN    THE    DARK. 

circumstance,  anyhow. — Hello!  What  did  you  find?* 
This  to  the  four  men  who  had  returned. 

'  No  one  in  the  boat,  corporal,'  answered  one  of 
them.  '  We  followed  her  down  to  the  bend,  and  she 
ran  on  a  shoal  and  turned  over  on  her  side.  We  could 
see  right  into  her.' 

'  We  '11  report  that  too,'  said  the  corporal  with  mili- 
tary brevity. — '  Fall  in  !  Squad,  attention  !  Shoulder 
arms  !     Slope  arms  !     Quick  march  !' 

'  Thet  's  one  more  down  ter  us,'  said  Ephraim,  with 
an  air  of  relief,  as  the  noise  of  footsteps  died  away  in 
the  distance.  '  Thet  old  boat  served  our  turn  well, 
after  all.  They  won't  worry  ter  hunt  up  in  this  direc- 
tion any  more.  Thar 's  been  a  fuss,  though.  Luce.  Did 
ye  hear  what  he  said  about  the  ginrul  ?  My  !  I  reckon 
them  Yanks  will  be  ez  lively  ez  a  Juny-bug  ter-night, 
looking  fer  us  and  all.' 

'  So  lively,'  returned  Lucius,  '  that  I  think  we  may 
as  well  give  up  all  hope  of  placing  that  packet  in 
General  Jackson's  hands.  It  is  enough  that  we,  or 
rather  you,  have  prevented  it  from  reaching  Fremont.' 

'I  reckon  not,'  said  Ephraim  thoughtfully.  'Shields 
is  pretty  sure  ter  try  and  git  a  message  over  ter  him 
now  thet  this  wan  's  failed.' 

'  Even  so,  he  may  change  his  plans,'  argued  Lucius. 

'  He  han't  the  time,'  answered  Ephraim  with  con- 
siderable shrewdness.  '  Thet  is,  ef  he  's  on  the  lookout 
fer  an  attack  to-morrer,  and  I  reckon  he  is.  Of  co'se, 
he  may  alter  'em  hyar  and  thar,  jest  ter  try  and  blutf 
old  Stonewall  ;  but  in  the  main  I  b'leeve  he  '11  hev  ter 
abide  by  'em.' 

'  Well,  what  is  it  to  be,  then  ? '  asked  Lucius,  yawning. 
'  I  'm  out  for  the  day,  so  I  may  as  well  take  a  hand  in 


A    DUEL    IN    THE    DARK.  179 

the  fun.  If  we  'I'e  caught  with  that  despatch  about 
us,  we  're  as  good  as  done  for.  However,  I  suppose  we 
may  try  for  the  sheep  now  that  we  've  got  the  lamb.' 

'But  we  ain't  goin'  ter  let  them  ketch  us,'  said 
Ephraim.  '  Ye  see,  we  're  a  heap  better  off  than  we 
w^ar  this  mornin'  or  this  afternoon,  for  we  know  the 
countersign,  and  ef  with  thet  we  don't  manage  ter 
slip  past  their  sentries,  it 's  a  wonder.  All  the  same, 
though,'  he  went  on,  '  we  may  ez  well  take  a  couple  er 
hours'  rest.  I  'm  about  done,  I  own  up  ter  thet,  and  I 
should  say  thet  you  wouldn't  be  the  worse  fer  it.' 

'  Considering  that  I  had  four  hours'  sleep  this  after- 
noon, thanks  to  you,'  answered  Lucius,  '  I  'm  not  so 
bad.  I  could  eat  something,  though ;  so  if  3^011  '11 
produce  the  ham,  we'll  lay  the  table.' 

Ephraim  laughed,  and  opening  his  coat,  extracted 
the  wedge  of  ham  which  he  had  carried  there  since 
the  morning,  and  which,  whatever  it  might  have  been 
at  first,  did  not  look  very  inviting  now.  However, 
hunger  is  the  best  sauce,  and  nearly  dark  as  it  was, 
the  dishevelled  appearance  of  the  ham  did  not  count 
against  it ;  so  between  it  and  the  biscuits  the  two  boys 
made  a  very  hearty  meal,  chatting  merrily  all  the 
wdiile,  as  if  they  had  not  a  care  in  the  w^orld. 

'Now,'  said  Lucius,  when  they  had  finished,  'I  feel 
as  fresh  as  a  daisy.  You  lie  down  and  sleep  for  the 
first  hour,  and  I  '11  keep  watch.' 

'  Air  ye  shore  ye  kin  hold  out  ?'  asked  Ephraim,  who 
did  indeed  feel  terribly  sleepy. 

'  Certain.  Lie  down,  old  Grizzly.  I  '11  wake  you 
when  I  think  the  hour  is  up.' 

Ephraim  took  ofi"  his  coat,  and  making  a  pillow  of 
it,  went  to  sleep  almost  instantly,  so  w^orn  out  was 


180  A    DUEL    IN    THE    DARK. 

lie ;  wliile  Lucius,  going  to  the  mouth  of  the  cave,  sat 
down  and  looked  over  the  river  into  the  night. 

It  was  almost  dark,  for  the  sky  had  clouded  over, 
and  every  now  and  then  a  few  drops  of  rain  fell,  but 
the  soft  light  of  the  summer  night  prevailed  to  some 
extent,  and  Lucius,  who  could  see  the  outlines  of  the 
steep  heights  across  the  river,  fell  to  picturing  the 
battle  which  had  been  waged  beyond  them  that  day, 
and  wondering  which  side  had  gained  the  victory. 
He  lost  himself  in  his  musings  for  a  quarter  of  an 
hour,  and  then  fumbled  mechanically  for  his  watch. 
'  I  wonder  if  the  hour  is  up,'  he  said  to  himself ;  '  I  'm 
beginning  to  feel  drowsy  now.  Oh,  I  forgot.  I  left 
it  at  home.' 

The  word  gave  his  thoughts  a  new  turn,  and  in 
fancy  he  saw  his  mother  grieving  over  his  absence, 
and  despairing  of  ever  seeing  him  again.  The  idea 
distressed  him,  and  presently  conscience  began  to  add 
her  stings,  and  strive  as  he  would  to  excuse  his  dis- 
obedience, his  mood  grew  gloomier  and  gloomier.  '  I 
hate  the  dark,'  he  muttered ;  '  it  always  makes  me  feel 
so  lonesome.     Surely  the  hour  must  be  up.' 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  he  had  kept  watch  but  for 
twenty- minutes,  but  those  who  have  tried  it  know 
how  slowly  the  minutes  drag  themselves  along  in  the 
dark,  when  the  sense  of  time  is,  as  it  were,  abolished, 
and  the  attention,  with  nothing  else  to  attract  it,  is 
firmly  fixed  on  the  hours,  whose  wings  seem  to  have 
been  clipped  for  the  occasion.  It  is  the  watched  pot 
that  never  boils. 

At  last  the  lonesome  feeling  overcame  Lucius  to 
such  an  extent  that  he  could  bear  it  no  longer ;  so 
rising  to  his  feet,  he  stole  softly  across  the  cave  and 


A    DUEL    IN    THE    DARK.  181 

sat  down  beside  the  snoring  Grizzly,  for  company,  as 
he  expressed  it  to  himself.  Sitting  there  in  the  deeper 
darkness,  a  gentle  drowsiness  fell  upon  him.  He  made 
one  or  two  not  very  vigorous  efforts  to  shake  it  off, 
and  then,  yielding  to  its  delicious  influence,  sank  into 
a  refreshing  sleep. 

Scarcely  a  moment  later,  as  it  seemed  to  him,  he 
was  awakened,  A  hand  was  laid  upon  his  shoulder, 
and  another  pressed  lightly  over  his  mouth. 

'  Hush,  Luce,'  whispered  Ephraim's  voice  close  to  his 
ear.  '  Git  up  softly.  It 's  time  we  war  out  er  this. 
They  're  huntin'  fer  us.' 

'Where?'  whispered  Lucius  back. 

'  Thar 's  a  boat  comin'  down  the  river.  I  jest  caught 
sight  er  the  flash  of  a  lantern.  They  're  searchin'  the 
banks.     Come,  quick !' 

They  groped  about  in  the  dark  until  they  found  the 
rifle  and  their  belts,  which  they  put  on,  and  stole  to 
the  mouth  of  the  cave.  Far  up  the  river  they  saw  a 
little  twinkling  light,  which,  as  they  watched  it,  grew 
slowly  larger.  Very  slowly,  for  the  search  was  a 
careful  one,  and  the  hunters  were  taking  their  time. 

'  What  a  good  thing  you  saw  it !'  said  Lucius  in  a 
low  voice.  '  They  might  have  walked  right  in  upon 
us  if  you  hadn't.  Oh,  Grizzly,'  he  added  in  a  tone  of 
deep  self-reproach,  'I  went  to  sleep  without  waking 
you!' 

'  Ye  rolled  over  on  me  wanst  ye  war  asleep,  and  thet 
woke  me,'  answered  Ephraim.  '  I  let  ye  snooze  ez  long 
ez  I  dared.  Never  mind  thet  now.  Let's  consider 
how  we  're  ter  git  out  er  this.' 

At  first  sight  it  appeared  to  be  no  easy  matter,  for 
the  bank   shelved   away   on   each   side   of  them,   and 


182  A    DUEL    IN    THE    DARK. 

the  overhanging  roof  of  the  cave  projected  so  far  over 
the  floor  that  it  was  impossible  to  reach  it,  while  to 
attempt  to  leap  for  it  in  the  darkness  would  infallibly 
result  in  a  ducking,  if  nothing  worse,  in  the  river. 

'Ef  we  on'y  had  a  light,'  muttered  Ephraim. 

'  I  have,'  said  Lucius.  '  There  are  some  matches  in 
the  pocket  of  these  trousers.' 

'Ah,  but  we  dassn't  show  it,'  returned  Ephraim. 
'  We  must  think  out  some  uther  way.' 

'  Could  we  not  just  drop  into  the  stream  ?'  suggested 
Lucius.  'It's  so  close  to  the  bank,  we  could  not  fail 
to  reach  it.' 

'We'll  do  thet  if  the  wust  comes  ter  the  wust,' 
replied  Ephraim;  'but  not  ef  thar's  en ny  uther  line; 
fer  we  might  git  separated  in  the  dark,  and  besides, 
we  don't  know  the  depth.' 

'  Be  quick  and  think  of  something,  then,'  said  Lucius. 
'  They  are  coming  nearer.' 

Ephraim  was  lying  down  at  the  mouth  of  the  cave, 
leaning  out  as  far  as  he  could  without  overbalancing 
himself,  and  feelinof  alonjj  the  face  of  the  rock  in  all 
directions  for  a  ledge.  At  last  he  uttered  a  low  grunt 
of  satisfaction. 

'  What  is  it  ?'  asked  Lucius. 

'The  face  of  the  rock  jest  underneath  us  is  rough 
and  projecktin','  answered  Ephraim.  'I  b'leeve  we 
could  work  along  it.  Anyway,  I  'm  goin'  ter  try. 
Ketch  hold  er  the  gun.' 

Lucius  felt  for  the  rifle  with  which  Ephraim  had 
been  making  investigations,  and  took  charge  of  it, 
while  the  Grizzly  placed  his  hands  upon  the  ledge 
formed  by  the  floor  of  the  cave,  and  cautiously  swung 
himself  over. 


A    DUEL    IN    THE    DARK.  183 

With  dangling  legs  he  explored  the  rocky  wall 
until  his  feet  struck  the  projection  he  thought 
he  had  felt,  and  resting  them  there,  began  to  worm 
his  way  along.  When  he  had  reached  the  extreme 
angle  of  the  cave,  he  stopped,  and,  clinging  with 
one  arm,  thrust  out  the  other  to  continue  his  explora- 
tions. It  met  the  stout  bough  of  a  tree  overhanging 
the  river.  Ephraim  pulled  with  all  his  might.  It 
held,  and  he  determined  to  risk  it.  Letting  go  his 
hold  of  the  ledge,  he  threw  all  his  weight  upon  the 
bough,  grasping  it  with  his  disengaged  hand  as  he 
swung  off  into  space.  The  bough  bent  beneath  his 
weight,  and  his  feet  dipped  into  the  river  as  he  hung, 
but  he  struggled  blindly  on,  and  in  another  moment 
felt  the  firm  earth  under  him  as  he  struck  the 
shelving  bank. 

'Bullee!'  he  said,  as  with  an  effort  he  regained 
his  balance. — '  Luce  !     Air  ye  thar  V 

'  Yes,'  answered  Lucius.     '  Have  you  managed  iit  V 

'You  bet,'  returned  Ephraim  cheerfully.  'All  ye 
hev  ter  do  is  ter  hang  on  ter  the  ledge  and  feel  with 
yer  feet  till  you  kin  git  a  hold.  Then  work  yerse'f 
along  till  ye  come  ter  the  end  of  the  hold  and  grab 
fer  a  branch.     Hang  on  ter  thet,  and  ye  '11  be  safe.' 

'  But  the  gun,'  said  Lucius.  '  Shall  I  leave  it 
behind?' 

'By  time,  no  !'  exclaimed  Ephraim.  'It's  all  we've 
got,  and  we  don't  know  when  we  may  want  it.  Hyar, 
I  '11  come  back  fer  it,  and  ye  kin  pass  it  along.' 

He  felt  for  the  friendly  bough,  and  presuming  that 
he  had  found  it,  threw  his  weight  upon  it.  Instantly 
it  cracked  across,  and  down  he  went  into  the  water 
with  a  great  splash.     Fortunately  he  fell  close  under 


184  A    DUEL    IN    THE    DARK. 

the    bank,   and    wildly  grasping,   caught    a  clump    of 
bushes  and  dragged  himself  out, 

'  It 's  all  right,  Luce,'  he  called  up  to  the  boy,  who 
was  listening  anxiously.  'I  must  hev  caught  the 
wrong  one.     I  'm  on'y  wet  about  the  legs.' 

'  It 's  all  wrong,'  replied  Lucius  under  his  breath ; 
'  those  fellows  have  heard  the  splash :  I  'm  sure  of 
it  by  the  way  the  lantern  is  being  moved  about.' 

'  Half  a  breath,'  said  Ephraim.  '  We  won't  leave 
the  gun  ef  we  kin  help  it.     I  '11  hev  anuther  try.' 

He  went  to  work  again  more  cautiously,  and  this 
time  orot  hold  of  the  right  boup'h. 

'  Send  her  along.  Luce,'  he  said.  '  Careful  now. 
We  don't  want  her  goin'  orf  like  the  first  wan.' 

Lucius  cautiously  extended  the  gun,  which,  after 
one  or  two  ineftectual  attempts,  Ephraim  caught  and 
landed  safely.  For  an  active  boy  like  Lucius  the 
rest  was  easy,  and  in  a  very  short  time  he  joined 
the  Grizzly  on  the  bank. 

'Which  way  now?'  inquired  Lucius,  when  once 
they  had  attained  the  level  ground  above. 

'  Oh,  up  the  river,'  answered  Ephraim.  '  We  must 
keep  our  faces  towards  old  Stonewall's  camp.  We  're 
all  right  now,  I  reckon,  with  these  uniforms  and 
the  countersign.     It 's  lucky  we  've  got  thet.' 

Alas,  poor  Ephraim  !  He  did  not  know  of  General 
Shields's  order,  nor  how  anxiously  his  arrival  was 
expected  by  every  sentry  along  the  line. 

'  I  wonder  what  time  it  is,'  said  Lucius  in  the  low 
tones  they  had  learned  of  necessity  to  adopt. 

'  It  orter  be  about  nine  o'clock,'  answered  Ephraim ; 
'  but  we  've  no  way  of  knowin'.  Thar 's  a  moon,  too, 
about  midnight,   I'm   sorry  ter    say;    but   p'raps  the 


A   DUEL    IN    THE    DARK.  185 

clouds  won't  let  her  through.  I  'm  fond  er  the 
moon ;  but  jest  this  wan  night  I  'd  do  without  her 
and  willin'.' 

'  It  won't  be  as  dark  outside  this  belt  of  trees  as  it 
is  here,'  said  Lucius,  as  they  moved  along. 

'  All  the  wuss  fer  us,'  said  Ephraim  ;  '  fer  outside 
'em  we  must  go.  This  belt  is  shore  ter  be  full  er 
sentries  all  along  the  river  line.  We  must  work  our 
way  down  ter  them  fields  we  crossed  this  afternoon, 

and  grub  along  through  the   ditch.     That'll    be 

Hush  !     Some  one 's  comin'.     Lie  down.' 

He  sank  noiselessly  to  the  ground  among  the  under- 
brush as  stealthy  footsteps  were  heard  approaching. 
Lucius  followed  his  example,  and  the  two  lay  side  by 
side,  scarcely  daring  to  breathe. 

General  Shields  had  left  nothing  undone  to  recover 
his  all-important  despatch,  and  the  search  was  being 
vigorously  prosecuted  in  every  direction.  A  couple 
of  boats  had  been  procured,  one  being  sent  up  and 
the  other  down  the  river,  while,  at  the  same  time, 
land  parties  patrolled  the  bank,  so  that  the  fugitive, 
if  discovered,  would  be  caught,  as  it  were,  between 
two  fires.  Such  a  fate  would  have  been  inevitable 
for  the  boys,  had  not  the  vigilance  of  the  Grizzly 
averted  it,  and  Lucius  blushed  in  the  darkness  as  a 
pang  of  shame  shot  through  him  at  the  thought  of 
the  danger  to  which  his  self -indulgence  in  cfoino-  to 
sleep  upon  his  post  had  exposed  them.  He  burned 
with  afiection  at  the  recollection  of  Ephraim's  quiet 
self-abnegation  in  calmly  accepting  the  inevitable 
and  rising  to  take  a  double  share  of  watch,  and 
roundly  resolved  that  when  the  next  time  of  trial 
came   he  should  not  be  found   wanting.     As  it  was. 


186  A    DUEL   IN   THE    DARK. 

their  position  was  precarious  enough,  for  the  footsteps 
drew  nearer,  and  their  eyes  could  catch  the  gleams 
of  a  lantern  as  it  swung  to  and  fro,  while  up  from 
the  river  came  the  soft  splashing  of  oars,  dipped 
gently  by  careful  rowers. 

Nearer  and  nearer  came  the  lantern,  and  now  by 
its  light  the  anxious  watchers  could  distinguish  dimly 
the  outlines  of  half-a-dozen  soldiers,  who  stealthily 
followed  their  jjuide.  Now  and  airain  a  beam  of 
the  lantern  light  flashed  upwards  and  was  reflected 
back  from  the  flxed  bayonets  of  the  party,  and  an 
uncomfortable  thrill  passed  through  Lucius  as  he 
wondered  how  it  would  feel  to  be  skewered  to  the 
ground  like  a  beetle  with  a  pin  stuck  through  it.  He 
was  rather  fond  of  collecting  things,  and  for  the  first 
time  in  his  thoughtless  existence  he  realised  what 
must  be  the  feelings  of  the  '  bugs,'  as  he  called 
them,  which  he  was  in  the  habit  of  treating  so 
unceremoniously.  However,  he  was  quite  content 
to  realise  it  in  imagination,  and  having  no  desire  to 
experience  the  sensation  in  actual  fact,  kept  his  place 
as  immovably  as  a  statue  thrown  to  the  ground. 

The  search  party  was  almost  abreast  of  them  now, 
keeping  pace  with  the  men  in  the  boat,  and  the  two 
lanterns,  one  flashing  upwards,  and  the  other  down- 
wards, made  a  pool  of  light  which  came  uncom- 
fortably close. 

Another  moment  of  breathless  suspense  and  the 
party  had  passed  by  and  darkness  once  more 
swallowed  up  the  trembling  watchers. 

But  they  were  not  out  of  danger  yet,  and  Ephraim's 
hand  stole  out  and  gripped  Luce's  shoulder  as  a  soft 
hail  came  from  the  river. 


A    DUEL    IN    THE    DARK.  181 

*  Above  there !' 

'Here  !'  came  the  muttered  reply. 

'  This  should  be  about  where  we  heard  that  splash.' 

'  A  little  farther  on,  I  think.' 

'  Forward,  then,  and  keep  your  eyes  open.' 

Tramp !  tramp !  The  soft  tread  was  resumed,  and 
Ephraim  put  his  mouth  close  to  Luce's  ear. 

'They'll  find  the  cave  in  anuther  minnit,'  he 
whispered,  'and  when  they  do,  w^e  must  move  off. 
Thar's  shore  ter  be  a  hullaballoo.' 

He  was  right.  In  a  few  minutes  more  another 
hail  arose  from  the  river,  this  time  louder,  more 
imperative,  more  confident. 

'Above  there!' 

'Here!' 

'  Halt !  Close  up  towards  our  light.  There 's  a 
hole  of  some  sort  here.     Maybe  he  is  inside.' 

Silence  for  a  little  space,  and  then  an  exultant  shout 
from  the  bank. 

'  What  have  you  found  ?'     This  from  the  boat. 

'Nothing  in  the  way  of  a  man.  But  a  broken 
branch  and  a  sloppy  mess  all  around.' 

'  Hold  on  till  we  pull  under.  If  he  's  in  there,  we  '11 
soon  have  him  out.' 

'  Mind  you  don't  get  your  head  blown  off.' 

This  very  probable  consequence  to  the  first  man 
who  should  put  his  head  into  the  mouth  of  the  hole 
caused  a  corresponding  diminution  of  enthusiasm, 
and  low  mutterings  arose  from  the  boat. 

'  Private  Storks,  stand  up  in  the  boat  and  flash  the 
lantern  into  that  hole. — You  above  there,  throw  the 
light  down  as  far  as  possible,  and  be  ready.' 

Great  alacrity  on  the  part  of  those  on  the   bank. 


188  A   DUEL   IN   THE   DARK. 

Considerable  hancjing:  fire  on  the  side  of  Private 
Storks. 

'  Now  then,  Storks,  look  sharp.  You  're  not  afraid, 
are  you  ? ' 

A  muttered  disclaimer  from  the  reluctant  Storks. 

'  Private  Flemming,'  in  a  very  angry  voice,  '  lift  up 
that  lantern  and  show  this  fellow  Storks  what  a  man 
is  made  of.' 

A  noise  of  scrambling  in  the  boat,  the  twinkling  of 
the  lantern  for  an  instant  through  the  trees.  Then 
bang !  and  a  roar  of  laughter,  followed  by  a  storm  of 
angry  execrations.  Private  Flemming,  by  way  of 
showing  Private  Storks  how  to  be  brave,  had  raised 
the  lantern  in  one  hand,  his  gun  in  the  other,  fired 
into  the  hole  in  order  to  make  safety  sure,  and  in- 
continently tumbled  backwards  into  the  boat  to  the 
imminent  danger  of  his  trusty  comrades. 

'Confound  you!'  shouted  the  officer  in  charge. 
'  Who  told  you  to  fire.  You  've  given  the  fellow 
warning  now,  if  he  's  not  there.  Up  with  you,  some 
one,  and  see  if  this  fool  has  been  firing  at  a  blank 
wall  or  not.' 

The  laughter  above  ceased  at  the  angry  command 
of  the  officer,  but  long  ere  it  died  away,  and  under 
cover  of  the  friendly  noise,  the  two  boys,  wriggling 
on  their  stomachs  like  a  couple  of  great  snakes,  had 
put  a  good  fifty  yards  between  themselves  and  the 
men  on  the  bank. 

'By  time!'  muttered  Ephraim.  'Thet's  mighty 
good  fun  fer  them ;  but  it 's  jest  ez  well  you  and  me 
war  out  er  thar.  Luce.' 

They  rose  to  their  feet,  and  moving  warily,  soon 
passed  out  of  the  fringing  belt  into  the  open.     Then, 


A  DUEL    IN    THE    DAEK.  189 

at  Ephraim's  direction,  they  ran  as  fast  as  they 
could,  till  a  multitude  of  twinkling  fires  told  them 
that  the  Federal  troops  lay  close  upon  their  left 
hand. 

'  Five  minnits  fer  refreshments,'  whispered  Ephraim, 
*  and  then  the  next  act  '11  begin.  See  hyar,  Luce,  it 's 
all  Virginny  ter  a  sour  apple  thet  they've  got  a 
chain  er  sentries  right  across  from  the  camp  to  the 
river-side.  We  must  dodge  'em.  Ef  wanst  we  kin 
git  ter  the  ditch,  we  '11  be  safe — so  fur.' 

They  stole  back  just  inside  the  belt  of  trees,  and 
moved  on,  a  step  or  two  at  a  time.  Sure  enough, 
presently  they  could  hear  the  measured  tread  of  a 
sentry  as  he  paced  backwards  and  forwards  upon 
his  short  beat. 

'  It  won't  do  to  try  the  countersign  just  here,'  whis- 
pered Lucius.     '  It 's  too  close  to  the  camp.' 

'  No,'  answered  Ephraim.  '  We  must  crawl  past 
him,  one  at  a  time.  You  go  first.  Ef  he  sees  ye, 
thar  's  this.'     He  touched  Lucius  with  the  rifle. 

Once  again  Lucius  cast  himself  down  flat  upon 
the  ground,  and  progressing  by  fractions  of  an  inch, 
approached  to  within  a  few  feet  of  the  sentry.  So 
close  was  he  as  the  man  passed  _  him,  that  by 
stretching  out  his  hand  he  could  have  caught  him 
by  the  leg.  But  the  darkness  favoured  him,  though 
it  was  light  enough  to  see  ten  paces  away,  and  the 
man  walked  past  unsuspiciously.  Before  he  could 
turn  again,  Lucius  had  writhed  beyond  his  beat  and 
ensconced  himself  among  the  trees,  where  he  waited 
for  Ephraim. 

The  Grizzly  had  stood  with  his  finger  on  the  trigger, 
ready  to  fire  if  occasion  arose ;  but  now  judging  that 


190  A    DUEL    IN   THE   DARK. 

Lucius  must  be  past  the  human  obstruction,  he  noise- 
lessly lowered  the  hammer  of  his  gun  and  prepared 
to  make  the  effort  on  his  own  account. 

It  was  more  difficult  for  him  than  for  Lucius, 
encumbered  as  he  was  with  his  rifle  ;  but  Fortune 
favours  the  bold,  and  in  ten  minutes'  time  he  found 
himself  once  n:iore  beside  his  comrade.  They  waited 
till  the  sound  of  footsteps  told  them  that  the  sentry's 
back  was  once  more  turned  to  them,  and  then  crawled 
farther  away.  In  this  way  they  passed  a  second  and 
a  third  sentinel,  and  at  length  the  end  of  their  labours 
presented  itself  in  the  shape  of  the  field  which  they 
had  crossed  in  the  afternoon.  They  dared  not  rise, 
however,  for  fear  of  being  seen,  and  a  final  crawl  of 
nearly  a  hundred  yards  had  to  be  accomplished  before 
they  found  the  safe  retreat  of  the  ditch. 

'  Thet 's  well,'  said  Ephraim,  contentedly  placing  his 
back  against  the  side  of  the  ditch  and  thrusting  his 
long  legs  out  in  front  of  him.  By  the  time  we  git 
ter  the  end  er  this,  we  '11  hev  got  over  a  right  smart 
piece  er  the  way. — How  d'ye  feel,  Luce  ?' 

'I'm  all  right,'  answered  Lucius.  'Have  a  cracker? 
I  've  got  a  few  left.' 

'  We  may  ez  well  eat  'em,'  said  the  Grizzly,  accepting 
his  share  and  beginning  to  munch ;  '  fer  it 's  pretty 
sartin  thet  ef  we  don't  breakfast  in  our  own  camp 
ter-morrer,  we  will  in  the  Yanks'.  Ef  we  don't  reach 
Stonewall  ter-night,  we  never  will.' 

'Come  on,  then,'  urged  Lucius.  'Another  mile  and 
a  half  ought  to  take  us  there.' 

'Right!'  said  Ephraim,  rising  to  his  feet.  'Wait 
a  minnit,  thou2i;h.'  Somethinnf  clanked  in  his  hand 
as  he  spoke. 


A    DUEL   IN   THE   DARK,  191 

'What's  that?'  asked  Lucius.  'What  are  you 
doing  V 

'  Fixin'  my  ba'net,'  quoth  Ephraim.  '  Ye  never 
know  what  '11  happen,  and  it 's  best  ter  be  ready. 
We  've  gone  along  and  come  safe  through  up  ter  now  ; 
but  wan  er  my  books  says  somewhar  "  the  darkest 
hour 's  before  the  dawn,"  and  maybe  jest  ez  we  think 
we  're  safe  the  bust  '11  come.' 

Prophetic  words,  though  Ephraim  knew  it  not.  The 
ditch  in  which  they  were  had  been  marked  by  General 
Shields  as  a  possible  means  of  exit  for  any  one  lurking 
in  the  fields,  and  a  thorough  search  of  it  had  been 
made.  This,  of  course,  led  to  no  result,  as  the  boys 
were  far  away  at  the  time ;  but  the  general's  astute- 
ness had  not  ended  there,  and  a  sentry  had  been 
placed  at  the  end  of  the  ditch  remote  from  the  camp — 
that  is,  nearest  the  Confederate  lines,  with  definite 
orders  to  shoot  any  one  issuing  out  of  it  if  he  could 
not  give  a  good  account  of  himself,  and  that,  even 
though  he  woi'e  the  Federal  uniform. 

Sharp  orders  these,  and  liable  to  make  any  Federal 
skulker  realise  that  there  were  other  paths  beside 
those  of  glory  which  led  to  the  grave.  Moreover, 
there  was  but  slender  chance  that  they  would  be 
disregarded,  for  the  sentry  chosen  for  this  special 
duty  was  a  grizzled  sergeant,  who  had  smelt  powder 
in  the  Mexican  campaign,  and  by  reason  of  years  of 
training  on  the  frontier,  was  up  to  every  dodge  of 
those  masters  of  deceptive  strategy,  the  redskins. 
Small  hope,  then,  that  honest  Ephraim,  with  his 
simple  cunning,  would,  notwithstanding  his  victory 
over  the  green  Captain  Hopkins,  be  able  to  beat  to 
windward  of  so  astute  a  warrior  as  Sero^eant  Mason, 


192  A   DUEL   IN   THE    DARK. 

The  darkest  hour  which  Ephraim  had  hinted  at  was 
at  hand.     And  yet  not  quite  the  darkest. 

The  ditch  down  which  the  boys  were  travelling 
intersected,  as  has  been  said,  two  fields — that  on  the 
right,  some  two  hundred  yards  from  the  river ;  that 
on  the  left,  about  four  hundred  from  the  wood.  These 
two  spaces  on  a  line  with  Sergeant  Mason  were  desti- 
tute of  sentries,  though  four  hundred  yards  behind 
the  sergeant,  who  stood  expectant,  but  unconscious  of 
the  approach  of  his  prey,  ran  a  double  line  of  pickets, 
right  across  from  river  to  mountain.  These  were  the 
outposts,  and  kept  their  watch  almost  cheek  by  jowl 
with  Jackson's  men,  not  half  a  mile  bej^ond.  Thus 
the  outlet  of  the  ditch  had  but  this  solitary  defender, 
but  in  placing  Sergeant  Mason  there,  General  Shields 
had  shown  his  wisdom  ;  and,  moreover,  the  alarm  of 
the  sergeant's  rifle,  should  he  see  fit  to  discharge  it, 
would  within  five  minutes  bring  him  support  from 
a  dozen  difierent  points. 

Sergeant  Mason  stood  with  his  rifle  resting  easily 
in  the  hollow  of  his  right  arm,  more  in  the  attitude 
of  an  expert  backwoodsman  than  in  that  of  a  sentry 
on  guard;  but  his  keen  eyes  glanced  continually  right 
and  left  over  the  dim,  yet  not  absolutely  dark,  meadows, 
or  straight  ahead  into  the  black  funnel  that  intersected 
them.  He  had  been  there  three  long  hours  already, 
and  was  beginning  to  feel  a  little  out  of  temper. 
And  when  Sergeant  Mason  was  out  of  temper,  it  boded 
ill  for  whoever  should  cross  his  path  at  that  inaus- 
picious season. 

Suddenly  the  sergeant  started  slightly.  His  quick 
ears,  intently  strained,  had  caught  a  faint  sound,  as 
of   some  one   moving   in   the  ditch.     His   ill-humour 


A    DUEL    IN    THE    DARK.  193 

vanished,  clown  came  his  rifle  with  its  sharp  bayonet 
to  the  charge,  and  he  was  at  once  the  veteran  soldier, 
nsed  to  war's  alarms,  and  ready  for  any  emergency. 

He  leaned  forward  striving  to  pierce  the  gloom 
of  the  ditch  ;  but  he  could  see  nothing.  Only  once 
again  that  soft  rustling  sound,  as  of  the  wind  gently 
blowing  over  reeds.     Then  it  ceased. 

Ceased  so  suddenly  that  the  sergeant's  suspicions 
w^ere  at  once  redoubled.  Evidently  it  was  not  the 
wind.  But  Mason  was  too  old  a  hand  to  act  rashly, 
so  he  did  not  challenge,  for  fear  of  scaring  his  orame, 
but  waited  patiently  for  the  end. 

Again  the  rustling.  This  time  surely  a  little  louder, 
a  little  nearer.  The  sergeant's  heavy  moustache 
bristled  with  anticipation,  and  his  lips  parted  in  a 
cruel  smile,  as  he  tightly  grasped  his  rifle. 

Not  a  sound  he  made  as  he  stood  there,  silent  and 
stiff  as  if  carved  out  of  ebony.  But  he  had  been  seen 
for  all  that,  and  even  now  the  boys,  crouching  low 
in  the  ditch,  were  holding  a  whispered  consultation. 

'  I  think  thet  he  hes  heard  us,  Luce,'  said  Ephraim. 
'  Listen  ter  me  and  do  jest  ez  I  tell  ye.  Crawl  out  er 
the  ditch  on  yer  left  and  make  a  wide  leg  ter  git 
behind  him.  Ez  soon  ez  ye  start,  I'll  up  an'  face 
him  so  ez  ter  cover  any  noise  ye  make.  Wait  fer 
me  until  I  git  past  him — and  I  will  git  past  him  one 
way  or  anuther — and  when  ye  hear  me  run,  foller 
ez  hard  ez  ye  kin.' 

The  first  part  of  this  well-laid  plan  was  carried  out 
to  the  letter ;  but  as  to  the  second — ah  !  there  Ephraim 
had  reckoned  without  Sergeant  Mason. 

Lucius  made  off"  as  he  had  been  told  to  do,  for  after 
what  he  had  seen,  his    faith  in   Ephraim's    strategic 

M 


194  A   DUEL   IN   THE    DARK. 

powers  was  absolutely  unbounded,  and  as  soon  as 
he  was  clear  of  the  ditch,  the  Grizzly,  with  much 
rustling  of  his  feet  and  a  great  outward  show  of 
confidence,  advanced  towards  the  outlet  of  the  ditch. 

From  his  superior  height  upon  the  slight  embank- 
ment Sergeant  Mason  looked  down  and  smiled  grimly. 
He  never  suspected  the  presence  of  Lucius,  wriggling 
along  to  attain  a  point  behind  him.  His  whole  mind 
was  intent  on  the  solitary  figure,  advancing  towards 
him. 

'Halt!  Who  comes  there?'  he  challenged,  and 
Ephraim  brought  up  standing,  halted  within  six  paces 
of  the  bayonet's  point. 

'Friend  !'  he  answered  laconically. 

'What's  your  business  ?' demanded  Mason,  wishful 
to  make  sure  of  his  ground  and  his  man. 

'  Speshul,'  returned  Ephraim,  also  feeling  his  way. 

'  That  so  ?  What  mought  be  the  natur  of  it  ?  I  'm 
hyar  tew  find  out,  yew  know.' 

'  Out  after  a  man  wearin'  a  Federal  uniform,  and 
supposed  ter  be  a  rebel  spy.     Kin  I  pass  ?' 

'  I  guess  so.     If  yew  have  the  countersign.' 

Alas,  poor  Grizzly,  the  fighter  of  redskins  is  going 
to  be  too  much  for  you !  Ephraim  advanced  a  pace 
or  two. 

'  Halt '.'  said  the  sergeant  again.  '  Is  that  yewr  idee 
of  giving  the  countersio;n  ?' 

'Shenandoah!'  replied  Ephraim  boldly,  and  never 
before  had  been  so  near  death  as  at  that  minute. 

Had  Sergeant  Mason,  smiling  grimly  behind  his 
thick  moustache,  obeyed  orders  strictlj^  he  would  have 
fired  then  and  there,  for  the  word  was  not  Shenandoah, 
and  Ephraim's  account  of  himself  had  not  been  good ; 


A   DUEL   TN   THE   DARK.  195 

but  two  reasons  restrained  Mason.  If  the  man  turned 
out  to  be  a  brother  Federal,  he  did  not  wish  to  have 
his  blood  upon  his  hands,  skulker  though  he  might 
be  in  view  of  the  morrow's  expected  fight ;  and, 
secondly,  if  the  man  were  proved  to  be  the  rebel 
spy,  Mason  considered  that  a  capture  would  redound 
more  to  his  credit  than  an  execution. 

Therefore  Sergeant  Mason  held  his  hand,  and  bring- 
ing his  rifle  up  to  the  port,  said  briefly  :  '  Pass,  friend  !' 

On  came  Ephraim,  his  shambling  gait  and  loose- 
jointed  frame  contrasting  ridiculously  with  the  square, 
well-knit,  soldierly  figure  in  front  of  him;  but  just 
as  he  had  set  one  foot  on  the  bank  to  leap  out  of 
the  ditch,  being  so  far  at  a  disadvantage,  the  sergeant 
suddenly  altered  his  position,  and  bringing  his  rifle 
to  the  low  guard,  said  sharply :  '  Surrender,  my  man. 
You  're  my  prisoner.' 

On  the  lookout  for  surprises,  Ephraim's  heart  yet 
seemed  to  leap  into  his  mouth  at  this ;  but  he  was 
quick  to  act.  Jumping  back  from  the  steel  that 
almost  touched  his  neck,  he  grasped  his  own  rifle 
with  one  hand  by  the  breech  and  with  the  other  by 
the  barrel,  and  before  the  sergeant  could  realise  his 
intention,  rushed  madly  at  him  up  the  bank. 

Their  bayonets  met  with  a  clash  ;  but  so  furious 
was  the  assault,  and  so  utterly  unexpected,  that  even 
Sergeant  Mason,  man  of  iron  though  he  was,  gave 
back  before  it,  and  Ephraim  springing  from  the  ditch, 
found  himself,  so  far  at  least  as  the  ground  went, 
at  an  equal  advantage  with  his  foe. 

For  an  instant  they  stood  fronting  each  other,  their 
bayonets  crossed,  and  only  the  space  of  their  rifles 
between  them. 


196  A   DUEL   IN   THE    DARK. 

The  sergeant  breathed  hard  and  drew  back  the 
hammer  of  his  gun.  '  Surrender  !'  he  said,  '  or  you  're 
a  dead  man.' 

Ephraim  heard  the  click,  and  his  answer  was  another 
rush.  Swift  as  thought  he  turned  his  wrist,  and  by- 
sheer  force  tossed  the  barrel  of  the  sergeant's  rifle  in 
the  air,  just  as  the  latter's  finger  touched  the  trigger. 

Bang !  The  bullet  soared  away  high  over  the  tops 
of  the  trees  in  the  wood,  and  once  more  the  sergeant 
recoiled  before  his  impetuous  antagonist.  He  began 
to  wish  that  he  had  fired  first  and  made  inquiries 
afterwards. 

'  Surrender,  you  fool !'  he  hissed  through  his  clenched 
teeth  ;  '  that  shot  will  bring  a  hundred  men  down  upon 

you.' 

For  answer,  Ephraim  cocked  his  own  rifle  and  fired. 
There  was  a  slight  fizzle  as  the  cap  snapped,  but  no 
report.  The  various  uses  to  which  the  rifle  had  been 
put  that  day  had  not  improved  its  quality  as  a  '  shoot- 
ing-iron,' and  the  powder  was  thoroughly  wet. 

The  rifles  were  the  old-fashioned,  muzzle-loading 
pattern.  There  was  no  time  to  reload,  and  like  light- 
ning Ephraim  rushed  forward  to  renew  the  attack. 

Then  began  a  battle  royal.  Sergeant  Mason  was  a 
strong  man,  and  knew  the  use  of  his  weapon  ;  but  the 
Grizzly  was  a  living  instance  of  the  truth  of  the 
saying,  that  a  man  who  knows  nothing  of  rule  will 
very  often  puzzle  an  expert.  So  it  was  now,  as 
Ephraim,  fired  with  unaccustomed  fury,  lunged  and 
thrust,  parried  and  recovered,  or  swept  his  bayonet 
in  narrowing  circles  round  his  antagonist's  head,  to 
the  utter  mystification  of  Mason,  accustomed  to  the 
one,  two,  three  of  the  regulations. 


A    DUEL    IN    THE    DARK.  197 

Clink  !  clank  !  rattle  !  crash  !  The  sharp  steel  met 
and  parted,  parted  and  met  again.  The  fighters  could 
but  just  distinguish  each  other  in  the  gloom,  even  as 
they  stood  now  with  bayonets  locked,  breathing  hard 
in  anticipation  of  the  next  rally. 

Clank !  The  sergeant  disengaged,  and  lunged 
straight  and  swiftly  out.  The  bayonet  passed  under 
the  Grizzly's  left  arm  ;  but  he  brushed  it  aside  with 
a  wild  swirl  of  his  rifle,  and  thrust  in  return  so 
close  to  the  sergeant's  heart,  that  but  half  an  inch 
further  would  have  settled  the  question  for  good 
and  all. 

Mason  sprang  backwards  just  in  time,  now  hotly 
pi'essed  by  the  furious  Grizzly.  Here  was  a  foeman 
of  a  temper  he  had  not  bargained  for  when  he  made 
that  light  arrest. 

'  Help  ! '  he  roared  at  the  top  of  his  voice.  '  A  spy  ! 
a  spy  !     Over  hj^ar  by  the  ditch.' 

Clank !  clank  !  clink !  clink  !  Fierce  thrust  and 
sudden  parry.  Another  fiery  rally.  This  time  the 
sergeant  felt  the  wind  of  Ephraim's  bayonet  past  his 
neck,  and  a  hot  spurt  of  breath  upon  his  face,  as  the 
Grizzly,  almost  overbalanced  by  his  frenzied  rush, 
stumbled  forward. 

With  a  mighty  efibrt  he  recovered  his  footing. 
Clink  !  clank !  Down  swept  Mason's  glittering  steel. 
Another  lock.  A  rapid  disengagement ;  and,  ere 
Ephraim  could  retreat,  the  long  blade  lunged  straight 
at  his  face. 

The  Grizzly  dodged  ;  but  the  sharp  point,  driven  by 
the  strong,  angry  arm  behind  it,  found  its  way  through 
his  coat,  and  ploughed  up  the  muscles  of  his  shoulder. 
The  pain  drove  him  wild,  and  with  a  roar  of  rage  he 


198 


A    DUEL    IN    THE   DARK. 


ran  in  upon  his  foe,  careless  of  his  own  exposure, 
and  raising  his  long  rifle  by  the  barrel,  brought  it 
smashing  clown  upon  the  bare,  defenceless  head. 

Under  that  frightful  stroke  Sergeant  Mason 
dropped  his  weapon,  reeled  from  side  to  side  like  a 
drunken  man,  and  dropped  to  earth  as  one  dead. 


rj   , . 


^^^^'t^?&-^^^.-%y^ 


—^  v  ^  ^--— sr'^ 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

HOW   THE   DESPATCH   WAS   BROUGHT  TO 
STONEWALL   JACKSON. 

^1//-^HILE  this  frightful  battle  raged,  Lucius 
^w7^^  stood  some  little  distance  off,  in  an  agony 
/"J^T^  of  apprehension  for  the  safety  of  his 
friend.  At  the  first  clank  of  the  meeting 
steel  he  had  risen  to  his  feet,  and  strained  his  eager 
eyes  to  see  what  was  about  to  happen;  but,  even 
though  he  drew  a  little  nearer,  he  could  distinguish 
nothing  clearly.  Only  in  the  dusk  a  pair  of  tall  forms 
dashed  from  right  to  left,  or  bounded  from  side  to  side, 
meeting,  recoiling,  and  meeting  again.  But  if  he  could 
not  see,  he  could  hear;  and  at  each  jarring  clank  of  the 
clashing  bayonets  his  heart  leaped,  and  his  hair  rose  on 
his  head,  for  he  could  not  believe  that  Ephraim  would 
win  the  fight.  Oh  for  a  gun  !  he  thought,  as  he  ran 
wildly  backwards  and  forwards,  groping  along  the 
ground,  in  the  hope  that  he  might  come  upon  some 
straggler's  discarded  piece.  All  at  once  he  heard 
shouts  and  the  noise  of  rushing  footsteps.  From  the 
river  bank,  from  the  woods,  from  the  pickets  behind 
him — from  every  direction — men  were  hastening  to 
the  scene  of  the  conflict.     Then  that  furious  cry  from 


200  HOW    THE    DESPATCH    WAS    BROUGHT. 

the  Grizzly,  and  the  dull  crash  as  the  sergeant  fell 
under  his  powerful  stroke.  Finally  silence  for  a 
little  space  around  the  combatants. 

Lucius  did  not  know  which  had  fallen  :  he  could  just 
see  that  one  was  down — that  was  all — and  his  fears 
told  him  that  it  must  be  Grizzly.  A  dull,  apathetic 
feeling  stole  over  him.  He  did  not  try  to  move.  He 
knew  that  in  a  few  minutes  more  he  must  be  a 
prisoner,  and  he  did  not  care.  A  mournful  voice 
seemed  to  chant  in  his  ears,  slow  and  solemn  as  a 
dirge,  '  The  Grizzly  is  dead !  the  Grizzly  is  dead ! ' 
And  all  concern  for  himself  vanished  in  the  presence 
of  this  overwhelming  sorrow. 

Then,  as  he  stood,  the  sound  of  the  well-known 
voice  thrilled  him  like  an  electric  shock,  jarring  his 
whole  frame  with  the  one  pregnant  monosyllable, 
'  Run ! '  And,  without  stopping  to  question  or  to 
reason,  he  turned  his  face  and  fled.  Fled  at  first 
madly,  unthinkingly,  right  in  the  teeth  of  the  advanc- 
ing enemy.  He  had  no  knowledge  of  Ephraira's 
whereabouts — whether  he  was  ahead  of  him  or  behind 
him.  He  was  alive — that  was  just  enough  then — and 
on  went  Lucius  like  the  wind. 

When  two  people  are  running  at  top  speed  in  the 
same  line,  but  from  opposite  extremes,  it  stands  to 
reason  that,  sooner  or  later,  they  will  meet.  And  this 
is  exactly  what  happened  now.  They  met,  Lucius 
and  the  leading  man  of  the  racing  sentinels — met  with 
a  crash,  like  two  charging  footballers — with  the  result 
that  both  went  down  in  a  heap  upon  the  ground. 

Lucius  was  the  first  to  recover  himself,  and  the  shock 
seemed  to  clear  his  brain,  so  that  he  realised  sharply 
what  he  was  doino-  in  thus  throwincr  himself  into  the 


HOW    THE    DESPATCH    WAS    BROUGHT.  201 

arms  of  his  foes.  He  was  a  slow  thinker  as  a  rule — 
or,  rather,  he  seldom  troubled  himself  to  think  at  all ; 
but  now  his  plans  were  formed  upon  the  instant,  such 
a  stimulus  is  necessity. 

Tearing  himself  free  from  the  man  upon  the  ground, 
he  leaped  to  his  feet,  and  running  a  few  paces,  still 
towards  the  advancing  crowd,  wheeled  round  suddenly, 
and  with  a  loud  shout  of  '  This  way !  Over  here ! ' 
rushed  back  by  the  way  he  had  come,  only  at  a  much 
slower  pace. 

Fortunate  it  was  for  him  that  it  was  so  dark. 
Guided  by  his  voice,  the  soldiers  hurried  after  him, 
surrounded  him,  noted  him  running  in  their  midst  in 
the  same  direction  as  themselves,  and — passed  him  by. 

Still  Lucius  held  on,  slowing  down  at  every  stride, 
till  the  last  man  of  the  supports,  puffing  and  blowing, 
shot  ahead  of  him,  and  then  he  turned  in  his  tracks 
once  more,  and  sped  like  a  deer  towards  the  Con- 
federate lines. 

He  took  a  diagonal  path,  making  by  instinct  for  the 
corner  of  the  wood,  which  more  than  once  that  day 
had  been  their  means  of  salvation,  and  reaching  it 
after  a  tearing  run  of  nearly  a  mile,  plunged  just 
inside  its  border  and  flung  himself  face  downwards  to 
recover  his  wind. 

All  at  once,  as  he  lay,  a  sharp  pang  shot  through 
him.  The  Grizzly !  Where  was  he  ?  Was  he,  too, 
running  for  his  life  in  the  open  ?  Had  he  reached  the 
wood  ?  Or,  bitter  thought,  had  he  been  captured  after 
all  ?  The  bare  possibility  stung  Lucius  into  action, 
and  he  leaped  again  to  his  feet,  glaring  wildly  round 
him  in  the  dark. 

What  would  they  do  with   him  if  he  were  taken  ? 


202  HOW   THE    DESPATCH    WAS    BROUGHT. 

Would  they  shoot  him  then  and  there  ?  Or  would 
they  take  him  back  to  the  camp,  and  after  a  mere 
formality  of  a  trial,  hang  him  like  a  dog  ?  Lucius 
strained  his  ears  until  they  pained  him,  listening  for 
the  fatal  shot.  But  he  heard  nothing.  '  Oh,  Grizzly/ 
he  thought  bitterly,  '  if  you  are  taken,  if  you  are  shot, 
and  I  have  run  away  and  left  you  to  your  fate !' 

He  was  hardly  fair  to  himself  in  his  sharp  self- 
upbraiding.  To  run  had  been  the  Grizzly's  own  com- 
mand, and  he  had  obeyed  implicitly.  He  began  to 
take  a  little  comfort.  Perhaps  they  had  only  missed 
one  another  in  the  dark.  Perhaps  the  Grizzly  was 
even  now  in  safety,  waiting  opportunity  to  make  a 
dash  for  the  Confederate  lines.  He  would  go  on. 
Then  again  the  cruel  thought,  '  What  if  he  be  a  captive 
while  I  am  free  ?'  '  Go  on  and  save  yourself,  at  all 
events,'  whispered  self-preservation.  'It  is  what  he 
himself  would  have  you  do.' 

'And  just  because  it  is  what  he  would  have  me  do,' 
answered  the  spirit  of  manliness  in  the  boy's  breast, 
'  I  will  not  do  it.  I  will  go  back  and  find  him,  if  I 
have  to  march  right  into  the  Federal  camp.' 

He  was  almost  beside  himself  with  pain  and  grief, 
but  the  one  idea  took  possession  of  him,  and  in  his 
brain  the  words  repeated  themselves  over  and  over 
again :  '  Go  back  and  find  him  !  Go  back  and  find 
him  !' 

'Oh,  if  I  had  but  a  gun  !'  he  sighed,  '  I  would  make 
somebody  pay  for  this.' 

His  hands  struck  against  his  cartridge  belt.  '  Pah  !' 
he  said  in  disgust,  opening  the  pouch.  '  What  is  the 
use  of  you  without  a  gun  ?'  Then  a  gasp  of  astonish- 
ment escaped   him.     His  fingers,  idly  groping  in  the 


HOW    THE    DESPATCH    WAS    BROUGHT.  203 

pouch,  had  encountered  a  piece  of  folded  paper — two 
pieces. 

For  a  moment  he  could  not  understand  it,  and  then 
the  meaning  flashed  across  him,  and  everything  became 
clear.  In  the  dark  of  the  cave  he  had  picked  up  and 
assumed  Ephraim's  belt  instead  of  his  own.  The  papers 
were  General  Shields's  despatch  to  General  Fremont, 
and  the  written  order  to  Colonel  Spriggs  regarding  the 
escaped  prisoners. 

Luce's  first  feeling  was  one  of  joy  that,  even  if  the 
Grizzly  were  taken,  at  all  events  nothing  compromising 
would  be  found  upon  him.  His  second,  a  wild  impulse 
to  fling  away  the  despatch,  and  rid  himself  of  its 
dangerous  companionship.  But  something  restrained 
him  in  the  very  act,  and  the  thought  crossed  him  : 
'  The  fate  of  an  aruiy  may  depend  upon  that  paper, 
and  that  army  your  own.  You  must  carry  it  to 
General  Jackson.' 

Poor  Lucius  !  He  was  on  the  horns  of  a  dreadful 
dilemma.  If  he  were  caught  with  that  paper  upon 
him,  it  would  be  short  shrift,  he  knew,  and  few  ques- 
tions asked.  Yet  if  he  did  not  deliver  it,  the  con- 
sequences to  the  Confederates  might  be  fearfully 
disastrous.  And  yet  again,  if  he  did  attempt  to  carry 
it  through,  he  must  turn  his  back  upon  his  friend, 
presuming  him  to  be  a  prisoner,  and  after  the  thoughts 
of  self-preservation  in  which  he  had  indulged,  how 
could  he  do  that  without  laying  himself  open  to  the 
charge  of  grasping  an  excuse  to  ensure  his  own  safety 
by  an  attempt  to  reach  the  Confederate  lines  ? 

He  wrung  his  hands  together  in  the  extremity  of 
his  despair.  Which  was  the  right  thing  to  do  ?  Who 
would  help  him  in  this  desperate  strait  ? 


204  HOW    THE    DESPATCH    WAS    BROUGHT. 

He  leaned  against  a  tree,  his  head  throbbing  and 
his  whole  mind  bewildered  in  the  presence  of  the  most 
serious  problem  he  had  ever  had  to  face.  Then  once 
again  came  to  him  one  of  those  mysterious,  silent 
promptings,  so  frequent  in  the  last  anguished  quarter 
of  an  hour.  And  this  time  it  was  as  if  Ephraim  spoke : 
'  Do  yer  duty,  Luce,  and  never  mind  me.' 

'I  will,'  he  cried  aloud,  dashing  the  tears  from  his 
eyes.  '  I  will.  But  I  '11  come  back  and  find  you  after- 
wards. Grizzly,  if  I  die  for  it !' 

He  braced  himself  up  to  consider  the  best  means  to 
carry  out  his  dual  resolve.  He  knew  very  well  that, 
no  matter  how  many  men  might  have  been  detached 
to  the  aid  of  the  sentry  at  the  ditch,  the  Federal  out- 
posts would  still  remain  in  their  place,  with  beyond 
them  the  last  line  of  sentinels  on  the  side  of  Jackson's 
army.  To  reach  his  goal  he  must  first  pass  this 
obstacle,  and  he  realised  that  in  the  ferment  raised  by 
the  present  crisis,  the  time  for  further  stratagem  had 
passed,  and  that  his  only  hope  lay  in  making  a  rush 
for  it. 

A  sense  of  uneasiness  was  eveiywhere,  and  the  out- 
posts were  especially  alert.  Not  only  had  the  rumour 
spread  of  the  presence  in  camp  and  subsequent  escape 
therefrom  of  a  supposed  rebel  spy,  but  there  was  a 
pretty  well  defined  feeling  that  the  morrow  would  not 
pass  without  an  attack  on  the  part  of  Jackson,  though 
exactly  how  or  where  the  blow  would  be  delivered,  no 
man  could  say.  Therefore  the  outposts  kept  even 
stricter  watch  than  usual,  ready  at  the  first  sign  of 
the  advance  of  the  enemy  to  give  the  alarm  and  fall 
back  upon  the  camp,  where,  on  that  night,  the  Federal 
soldiers  lay  on  their  arms. 


HOW    THE    DESPATCH    WAS    BROUGHT.  205 

The  uneasy  feeling  was  justified  by  what  was  hap- 
pening in  the  Confederate  camp.  The  night  had 
descended  upon  another  Federal  repulse.  The  veteran 
Ewell  had  hurled  back  Fremont  at  Cross  Keys,  and 
driven  him  from  the  field  after  a  long  and  desperate 
conflict.  Then,  when  the  darkness  put  a  stop  to  the 
operations,  Jackson  recalled  the  troops  of  Ewell,  and 
leaving  a  strong  rearguard  in  front  of  Fremont, 
returned  to  Port  Republic.  Here  he  hastily  constructed 
a  foot-bridge,  by  means  of  wagons  placed  end  to  end, 
over  the  south  fork  of  the  Shenandoah,  and  gave 
orders  that  at  dawn  his  infantry  were  to  cross  and 
try  conclusions  with  Shields  at  Lewiston.  He  then 
retired  to  snatch  a  few  hours  of  well-earned  repose. 
Shields,  meanwhile,  had  managed  to  get  a  second  de- 
spatch conveyed  to  Fremont,  laying  before  him  a  plan 
of  operations  which  differed  little  from  those  set  forth 
in  the  lost  despatch  ;  for  as  Ephraim  had  shrewdly 
surmised,  there  was  but  scant  time  to  alter  the  dis- 
position of  an  entire  army ;  and,  moreover.  Shields, 
sanguine  to  the  last,  could  not  bring  himself  to  believe 
that,  from  a  camp  so  strongly  guarded,  the  spy  had 
really  been  able  to  make  good  his  escape.  He  was 
convinced  that  if  accident  did  not  deliver  the  bold 
rebel  into  his  hands  during  the  night,  his  capture 
would  certainly  be  accomplished  in  the  morning.  That 
thex'e  were  two  people  concerned  in  this  escapade  he 
had  never  fully  realised,  and  that  the  despatch  had 
passed  from  one  hand  to  another,  he  never  even 
dreamed. 

Fully  alive  to  the  dangers  of  the  situation,  Lucius 
moved  cautiously  along,  feeling  the  edge  of  the  wood 
lest  he  should  lose  himself  in  its  gloomy  depths,  and 


206  HOW   XnE    DESPATCH    WAS   BROUGHT. 

every  moment  drawing  nearer  to  the  Federal  outposts. 
A  white  glow  on  the  hill-tops  warned  him  that  the 
moon  was  rising,  and  he  prayed  earnestly  that  the 
clouds  which  were  driving  across  the  sky  would  form 
up  and  shut  behind  them  the  silver  light  which  would 
make  the  difficulties  of  his  perilous  advance  so  much 
greater. 

Suddenly  he  pulled  up  short.  Not  far  away  he 
heard  a  sound,  a  suppressed  cough.  There  it  was 
again,  its  owner  evidently  doing  his  best  to  stifle  it. 
Lucius  surmised  clearly  enough  from  whom  the  sound 
proceeded.  It  was  one  of  the  communicating  sentries 
between  the  outposts  and  their  reserves.  He  felt 
rather  than  heard  that  the  man  was  walking  in  his 
direction,  and  with  the  painful  thought  troubling  him, 
'  What  if  I  were  to  cough  or  sneeze  ?'  drew  close  behind 
a  tree  to  wait  till  he  had  passed  by.  Standing 
there,  he  heard  another  sound — the  measured  tramp 
of  feet,  as  if  a  body  of  men  were  stealthily  approaching 
him.  The  sentry  heard  it  too,  for  he  halted  a  few 
paces  from  Lucius  and  prepared  to  act. 

'Halt!'  he  challenged  in  a  guarded  voice,  at  the 
same  time  bringing  his  rifle  to  the  charge.  '  Who 
comes  there  ?' 

'  Patrol ! '  was  the  reply,  also  given  in  an  under- 
tone. 

'  Stand,  patrol !  Advance  one  and  give  the  counter- 
sign ! ' 

Some  one  stepped  forward  to  the  point  of  the 
sentry's  bayonet,  and  answered  in  a  tone  so  low  as  to 
be  almost  a  whisper  :  '  Winchester  !' 

'  So,'  thought  Lucius,  who  caught  the  word,  '  the 
countersign  has  been  changed.     That   is  how  Grizzly 


HOW   THE    DESPATCH    WAS    BROUGHT.  207 

came  to  be  stopped  at  the  ditch.  Well,  it  won't  do  me 
any  good,  for  I  dare  not  try  it  on  now.' 

'Pass,  patrol!  All's  well!'  said  the  sentry,  still 
keeping  his  rifle  at  the  charge. 

The  patrol  moved  on,  the  officer  in  charge  turning 
back  to  inquire  :  '  Any  sign  of  the  spy  ? ' 

'  No,  sir/  replied  the  sentry,  and  Luce's  heart  thrilled 
with  joy  at  the  word. 

Presently  the  sentry  resumed  his  beat,  and  Lucius 
slipped  past  and  continued  his  heedful  advance.  The 
most  difficult  part  of  his  work  lay  before  him,  for  the 
outposts  were  in  strength,  and  their  advanced  sentries 
had  also  to  be  negotiated.  Still  he  thoufjht  that,  once 
past  the  outposts,  he  would  be  able  to  show  the  sentinels 
a  clean  pair  of  heels.  But  there  was  one  thing  on 
which  he  had  not  reckoned,  and  presently  he  came 
upon  a  sight  which  took  his  breath  away.  A  line  of 
light  lay  right  across  his  path — the  bivouac  fires  of 
the  pickets. 

They  extended  as  far  as  he  could  see  on  either  hand, 
and  the  boy's  heart  sank  within  him  as  he  wondered 
how  he  should  pass  across  that  line  of  radiant  light 
without  being  discovered.  However,  on  closer  investi- 
gation, he  saw  to  his  intense  relief  that,  though  the 
fires  were  not  very  far  apart,  yet  between  each  was  a 
dark  space,  and  through  one  of  these  he  trusted  to  be 
able  to  slip.  Moreover,  he  noted  that,  while  most  of 
the  men  were  h^iug  down,  some  few  were  standing  up 
or  walking  about,  and  so  w^as  led  to  hope  that  his 
upright  figure,  if  observed  at  all,  would  not  attract 
attention. 

There  was  no  help  for  it — it  had  to  be  done;  so  draw- 
ing a  long  breath  he  set  his  teeth   hard,  and   making 


208  HOW    THE    DESPATCH    WAS    BROUGHT. 

carefully  for  the  dark  path  between  two  of  the  fires, 
advanced  with  firm  and  deliberate  step. 

Some  one  spoke  to  him  as  he  came  on.  He  did  not 
hear  the  question,  but  he  was  conscious  of  returning 
an  answer  of  some  sort,  though  a  moment  afterwards 
he  could  not  have  told  what  he  had  said. 

He  reached  the  coveted  path  between  the  two  fires, 
and  again  a  soldier  who  was  reclining  by  one  of  them 
hailed  him. 

'  That  yew,  Dick  ?'  asked  the  man.  '  Wh}-  can't  yew 
keep  still  ?     I  believe  yew  're  a  funk.' 

Lucius  spared  a  thought  to  bless  the  restless  Dick, 
and  strode  on. 

'  Dick,'  said  the  man  again,  '  did  yew  hear  that  ? — 
Why,  Dick  !     Look  at  him  !     By ' 

For  Lucius  had  passed  beyond  the  line,  and  casting 
all  idea  of  further  concealment  to  the  winds,  leaped 
forward  like  a  startled  hare. 

In  a  moment  all  was  bustle  and  confusion.  The 
pickets  sprang  to  arms,  orders  were  shouted  in  rapid 
succession,  and  twenty  men  darted  upon  the  track  of 
the  fuo-itive,  while  the  advance  sentries,  hearing  the 
commotion,  stopped  on  their  beat,  eagerly  waiting  the 
explanation  of  the  unusual  disturbance,  which,  so  far 
as  they  were  concerned,  seemed  to  come  from  the 
wrong  quarter. 

The  very  energy  of  the  pursuit  saved  Lucius;  for 
sentries,  pursuers,  and  pursued  were  all  mixed  up  in 
one  inextricable  tangle  in  the  darkness,  and  the 
noise  the  soldiers  made  in  following  him  of  itself 
prevented  them  from  getting  any  clear  idea  of  his 
whereabouts. 

On  he  dashed.     Shots  were  fired  here  and  there  at 


HOW   THE    DESPATCH    WAS   BROUGHT.  209 

random  ;  but  if  any  one  was  hit  it  was  not  Lucius, 
and  in  less  than  five  minutes  he  plumped  into  the 
middle  of  a  Confederate  picket,  under  arms,  and  ready 
for  an  affair  of  outposts,  if  that  were  what  the  noise 
presaged. 

'  I  surrender  !  I  surrender  ! '  panted  Lucius.  '  Take 
me  prisoner  !     Quick  ! ' 

'  I  reckon  ef  thet  's  what  ye  've  come  fer,  ye  've  got 
yer  way,'  said  a  Confederate  soldier  gruffly,  at  the 
same  time  seizing  him  by  the  arm.  '  Air  thar  enny 
more  er  you  uns  on  the  road  ?' 

'  No,'  gasped  Lucius  ;  'there 's  only  me.  Take  me  to 
the  General.     Quick  !     Oh,  do  be  quick  ! ' 

'  Take  ye  to  the  Ginrul !  Thet 's  good  !  Ho  !  ho  ! ' 
The  men  around  broke  into  loud  laughter ;  but  an 
officer,  coming  up  at  that  moment,  sternly  ordered 
silence,  and  raising  a  lantern  to  look  at  Lucius, 
demanded  who  he  was,  and  what  he  meant  by  run- 
ning into  them  like  that. 

'  I  want  to  see  the  General,'  repeated  Lucius,  who 
just  then  could  think  of  nothing  else  to  say. 

'  State  your  business  to  me,'  said  the  officer.  '  I  will 
be  the  judge  as  to  whether  it  is  of  sufficient  import- 
ance to  justify  the  granting  of  your  request.  Are  you 
a  deserter  from  the  enemy  ?  Do  you  bring  news  of 
his  movements  ? ' 

'  No — yes,'  replied  Lucius  hurriedly.  '  I  mean  I  am 
not  a  deserter,  but  I  bring  important  news.' 

'  If  you  are  not  a  deserter,  what  do  you  mean  by 
wearing  that  uniform  ?     Explain  yourself.' 

'  Captain,'  answered  Lucius  earnestly,  '  believe  me,  I 
am  telling  the  truth.  I  found  this  uniform,  and  put  it 
on  to  disguise  myself.    I  have  a  despatch  from  General 

N 


210  HOW   THE    DESPATCH   WAS    BROUGHT. 

Shields  to  General  Fremont,  and  I  will  give  it  to  the 
General,  if  you  will  take  me  to  him.' 

'  Give  it  to  me,'  urged  the  captain,  holding  out  his 
hand.  Lucius  hesitated.  If  he  gave  up  the  despatch 
and  then  asked  leave  to  return,  the  captain  would 
become  suspicious  of  a  trick,  and  perhaps  detain  him 
there  till  the  rounds  passed  by,  and  so  valuable  time 
would  be  lost.  He  felt  that  his  only  resource  lay  in 
an  appeal  to  some  one  in  authority  who  would  grant 
him  the  required  permission,  and  the  memory  of 
Jackson's  face  at  Staunton  on  that  last  Sunday  sug- 
gested that  the  appeal  should  be  made  to  him,  and 
him  alone.  '  He  will  understand  me,'  thought  Lucius ; 
'  these  other  fellows  will  not.'  Aloud  he  said  :  '  Cap- 
tain, I  've  gone  through  a  good  deal — in  fact,  I  've 
risked  my  life — to  bring  that  despatch  here,  and  I 
beseech  you  to  let  me  give  it  to  the  General  with  my 
own  hands.     More  depends  upon  it  than  you  think.' 

The  captain  considered.  The  earnest  pleading  moved 
him.     '  Who  are  you  ? '  he  asked  at  length. 

'I  belong  to  Staunton,'  answered  Lucius.  'My 
fa I  have  a  relative  in  this  army.' 

'  Who  may  that  be  ? '  inquired  the  captain,  for  it  was 
no  uncommon  thing  for  different  members  of  a  family 
to  be  fighting  on  opposite  sides  of  the  line. 

'  I  'd  rather  not  say,'  answered  Lucius.  '  Oh,  captain, 
let  me  go.  I  am  sure  that  the  General  will  tell  you 
you  have  done  right  if  you  do.' 

'  Corporal,'  said  the  captain,  after  another  moment's 
reflection,  '  take  this  fellow  to  headquarters.  Report 
the  affair  to  the  adjutant,  and  hear  what  he  has  to 
say.' 

Lucius  thanked  him  gratefully,  and  presently  started 


A  candle  was  burning  on  a  table  by  the  window. 


HOW   THE   DESPATCH   WAS   BROUGHT.  213 

for  the  village  between  two  men,  the  corporal  leading 
the  way. 

'  Hi ! '  shouted  the  captain  after  him.  '  Was  there 
any  sign  of  movement  on  the  part  of  the  enemy  when 
you  left  ? ' 

'  No,'  answered  Lucius  ;  '  all  was  quiet.  It  was  me 
they  were  after.' 

To  all  the  numerous  questions  of  the  corporal,  as 
they  marched  along,  he  maintained  a  rigid  silence,  and 
at  last  they  reached  the  house  where  General  Jackson 
had  taken  up  his  quarters  for  the  night. 

Leaving  Lucius  in  charge  of  the  two  soldiers,  the 
corporal  slipped  past  the  sentry  and  rapped  up  the 
adjutant-general,  who  occupied  a  room  in  the  same 
house,  and  who  at  once  rose  and  came  down- stairs  on 
hearing  what  was  the  matter. 

To  him  Lucius  repeated  his  story,  winding  up  with 
a  supplication  that  he  might  be  allowed  to  give  his 
message  to  the  General  himself. 

'Corporal,  remain  on  guard  here. — You,  fellow,  follow 
me,'  said  the  adjutant. 

The  corporal  saluted,  and  Lucius,  his  heart  thump- 
ing with  excitement,  followed  his  guide  upstairs. 

The  adjutant  paused  at  a  door  and  knocked  softly. 
As  there  was  no  reply,  he  turned  the  handle,  and 
entered  the  room  with  Lucius  at  his  heels. 

A  candle  was  burning  on  a  table  by  the  window, 
and  by  its  light  Lucius  discerned  the  figure  of  an 
officer,  fully  dressed,  even  to  his  sword  and  jack-boots, 
lying  face  downwards  across  the  bed.  He  stirred 
uneasily  at  the  noise,  turned  over,  and  then  sat  up, 
yawning  and  rubbing  his  eyes.  It  was  General 
Jackson. 


214  HOW  THE    DESPATCH   WAS    BROUGHT. 

'  Pendleton ! '  lie  exclaimed,  starting  from  the  bed 
and  standing  erect  upon  the  floor,  '  You !  What  is 
the  matter  ? ' 

'All  is  quiet,  General;  and  I  would  not  have  ven- 
tured to  disturb  you ;  but  this  fellow  here  avers  that 
he  brings  important  news  of  the  enemy,  which  he  will 
communicate  to  no  one  but  you.  So  far  as  I  can 
judge,  he  is  telling  the  truth,  so  I  brought  him  up.' 

'What  is  your  news?'  asked  Jackson  quietly  of 
Lucius. 

Lucius  glanced  at  the  adjutant.  It  was  possible 
that  if  he  heard  the  story  he  might  throw  his  influence 
into  the  scale  against  a  return  to  the  Federal  camp. 
It  would  be  easier,  he  thought,  to  manage  General 
Jackson  alone.  So  he  answered :  *  I  would  rather  speak 
to  you  alone.  General.' 

'  Leave  us,  Pendleton,'  said  the  General. 

'But,  sir,'  protested  the  adjutant,  'I — he' He 

made  a  step  forward  and  ran  his  hands  all  over  Lucius 
to  see  if  by  any  chance  he  carried  hidden  weapons. 
Finding  none,  he  saluted  and  withdrew. 

Jackson  smiled  at  his  subordinate's  excess  of  caution, 
and  turning  to  Lucius,  addressed  him  again  with : 
*  Now  then,  my  man,  what  is  your  news  ?     Out  with  it.' 

Lucius  drew  a  breath  of  relief.  The  General  did  not 
recognise  him,  which  was  scarcely  wonderful,  for  they 
had  met  but  once,  and  then  Lucius  had  presented  a 
very  different  appearance. 

He  made  no  verbal  answer,  but  drawing  the  soiled 
and  crumpled  despatch  from  his  pouch,  handed  it 
silently  to  the  General.  Equally  in  silence  Jackson 
received  the  package,  and  withdrawing  to  the  table, 
sat  down  to  examine  it.     No  sooner  had  he  read  the 


HOW   THE    DESPATCH   WAS   BROUGHT.  215 

superscription  than  he  glanced  sharply  round  at 
Lucius,  but  restraining  himself,  broke  open  the  envelope 
and  began  to  peruse  the  contents.  He  smiled  as  he 
read  on,  for  the  plans  of  Shields  were  so  exactly  what  he 
had  hoped  and  even  prognosticated  they  would  be. 
He  did  not  look  up  again,  though,  until  he  had  finished 
his  scrutiny  of  the  document.  Then  he  rose,  and 
holding  the  paper  in  one  hand,  laid  the  fore-finger  of 
the  other  upon  it,  and  fixing  his  keen  blue  eyes  upon 
Lucius  as  if  he  would  read  his  very  heart,  asked 
sharply  :  '  How  did  you  come  by  this  ?' 

Lucius  was  prepared  for  the  question.  While  the 
General  had  been  busied  with  the  despatch,  he  had 
been  debating  with  himself  how  to  explain  his  position. 
He  was  sharp  enough  to  know  that  if  once  his  identity 
with  Lucius  Markham  were  revealed,  all  hope  of  being- 
able  to  rejoin  Ephraim  would  be  at  an  end.  His  one 
chance  lay  in  allowing  the  general  to  suppose  him 
an  ordinary  citizen  of  the  valley.  He  concluded,  there- 
fore, that  while  suppressing  his  name,  his  best  and 
wisest  course  would  be  to  furnish  a  plain  and  simple 
statement  of  facts.     So  he  answered  at  once  : 

'I  will  tell  you.  General.  Early  this  morning  my 
companion  and  m3^self — both  of  us  live  in  the  valley — 
were  taken  prisoners  by  a  number  of  Federal  stragglers. 
We  were  roughly  handled,  but  escaped,  and  concealed 
ourselves  in  the  wood  between  this  and  Lewiston. 
There  we  found  two  dead  Federal  soldiers,  and  disguised 
ourselves  in  their  uniforms.  Presently  we  were  seen 
and  forced  to  march  to  the  attack  upon  the  bridge 
this  morning.  When  the  Yankees  ran  away,  we  were 
obliged  to  run  with  them,  and  once  more  took  refuge 
in  a  hut  in  the  wood.     While  there  we  overheard  a 


216  HOW   THE    DESPATCH   WAR   BROUGHT. 

conversation  of  General  Shields  with  a  Federal  scout, 
and  determined  to  try  and  intercept  the  despatches 
he  carried.  We  were  successful,  and  tried  to  get  up 
the  river  in  the  spy's  own  boat,  but  as  we  had  no 
oars,  the  current  carried  us  down,  and  we  only  got 
ashore  after  a  great  deal  of  trouble.  We  were  getting 
along  all  right,  when  we  were  challenged.  There  was 
a  fight  in  which  my  companion  got  the  best  of  the 
sentry,  and  then  we  broke  and  ran,  and  lost  each  other. 
I  had  the  despatch  in  my  pouch,  and  came  on  with 
it  at  once.     I  was  nearly  caught  at  the  last  post.' 

Jackson  listened  in  silence  to  Luce's  explanation, 
and  when  he  had  finished,  remarked  drily:  'That  sounds 
a  very  plausible  story ;  but  how  am  I  to  know  that  it 
is  a  true  one  ?' 

Lucius  flushed  through  the  dirt  which  encrusted  his 
cheeks.  He  was  about  to  reply  in  his  usual  haughty 
and  imperious  style,  but  remembering  his  assumed 
character  in  time,  choked  back  the  words  and  said 
instead  :  '  You  have  only  my  word  for  it,  General,  of 
course  ;  but  the  despatch  itself  is  a  proof  of  what  I 
have  told  you.' 

'  Not  at  all,'  was  the  unexpected  retort ;  '  for  even 
that  may  not  be  genuine.  The  whole  thing,  including 
your  assumption  of  the  Federal  uniform,  may  be  merely 
a  device  to  impose  upon  my  credulity  and  lead  me  into 
a  trap.' 

At  this  Lucius  was  so  completely  taken  aback  that 
for  a  moment  or  two  he  had  nothing  to  say.  Then, 
as  Jackson  regarded  him  with  his  shrewd,  dry  smile, 
he  burst  out  passionately :  '  General,  we  have  risked 
our  lives  all  along  the  line  to  bring  you  that  despatch. 
One  of  us  is,  for  all  I  know,  a  prisoner,  or  perhaps 


HOW   THE   DESPATCH   WAS   BROUGHT.  217 

dead.  We  could  have  got  away  easily  enough  bj'- 
simply  stopping  in  our  hiding-place  if  we  had  not 
tried  to  do  you  this  service.  If  you  don't  believe 
me,  I  can't  help  it;  but  I  declare  upon  my  honour 
as  a  Southerner  that  I  have  told  you  the  truth.' 

The  last  words  came  out  with  so  proud  a  ring 
that  Stonewall  eyed  him  curiously. 

'  Who  are  you  ?'  he  demanded  by  way  of  reply. 

'  I  live  in  the  valley,'  answered  Lucius  vaguely. 
'  So  does  my  chum. — Oh,  sir,  sir,'  he  broke  off  wildly, 
'  do  believe  me  and  let  me  go !  They  may  be  killing 
him  even  now.' 

Jackson  started  in  astonishment,  and  took  a  step 
forward.  '  You  don't  ask  me  to  believe,'  he  said, 
'that  you  contemplate  returning  to  the  Federal  lines 
to  look  for  him  ?' 

'I  do,  I  do!'  cried  Lucius.  'Why  should  I  not? 
Twice  or  thrice  already  to-day  he  would  have  given 
his  life  to  save  mine.  How  can  I  desert  him  now  ? 
It  would  be  too  base.' 

The  utter  simplicity  of  the  thing  carried  its  own 
conviction  with  it.  No  professional  trickster  would 
delude  himself  into  the  belief  that,  coming  from 
the  Federal  lines,  he  would  be  at  once  allowed  to 
return  there  on  the  strength  of  his  own  story.  The 
genuine  emotion  of  the  young  man,  as  he  supposed 
him  to  be,  went  straight  to  Jackson's  warm  heart. 

'  Do  not  distress  yourself,  my  young  friend,'  he  said 
kindly  ;  '  I  believe  you.  But  as  regards  your  comrade, 
what  do  you  imagine  you  can  effect  by  going  back  ?' 

*  This,'  answered  Lucius,  as  the  recollection  of 
the  hut  in  the  forest  came  to  him  like  an  inspiration  : 
*if  he  has  not  been  taken,  and  has  not  been  able  to 


218  HOW   THE   DESPATCH   WAS    BROUGHT. 

break  through  their  line,  I  know  where  he  will  go 
to  look  for  me.  I  will  go  there.  I  can  find  out 
that  way  whether  he  is  dead  or  a  prisoner,  or  alive 
and  free.' 

'  No,'  answered  Jackson ;  '  for  he  might  reach  our 
lines  just  while  you  were  looking  for  him.  You  could 
do  no  good,  and  for  your  own  sake,  if  for  no  other 
reason,  I  cannot  allow  you  to  return.  I  do  not  suspect 
your  honesty,'  as  Lucius  made  a  passionate  gesture ; 
'  but  it  would  serve  no  useful  purpose.  To-morrow,  if 
God  blesses  our  arms  as  He  has  hitherto  done,  we 
shall  sweep  Shields  from  the  field,  and  your  comrade, 
if  he  has  not  managed  to  escape,  may  be  recovered 
in  the  struggle.  At  the  worst  he  will  be  sent  north 
with  other  prisoners,  and  exchanged  in  due  course.' 

'  Oh,  but  you  are  forgetting  that  he  is  a  civilian,' 
urged  Lucius,  '  and  that  if  they  find  out  that  he  took 
the  despatch,  they  will  kill  him  for  it.'  His  voice 
trembled  so  that  he  could  hardly  enunciate  the 
words. 

'They  would  serve  you  the  same  way  if  they  got 
hold  of  you,'  answered  Jackson. 

'  But  they  shall  not  get  hold  of  me.  General,'  said 
Lucius.  '  I  know  their  word,  I  wear  their  uniform, 
and  I  know  the  way.  Once  I  get  to  the  wood  I 
shall  be  all  right.  Besides,'  he  added  cunningly,  '  as 
soon  as  I  have  found  out  what  has  become  of  him, 
I  will  return  and  give  you  fresh  information  about 
the  troops — all  I  can  collect.' 

'  My  scouts  are  out  already,'  answered  Jackson,  '  and 
there  is  little  likelihood  that  you  would  be  able  to 
accomplish  more  than  they  will  with  their  trained 
powers  of  observation.' 


HOW   THE    DESPATCH    WAS    BROUGHT.  219 

'  Have  they  brought  you  a  despatch  like  that  ?'  asked 
Lucius,  with  a  certain  pride  in  his  voice. 

*  A  fair  hit,'  returned  Jackson,  smiling.  '  No ;  but  I 
may  tell  you  that  the  information  I  have  received 
through  them  tallies  exactly  with  the  contents  of  the 
despatch,  which  is  perhaps  fortunate  for  you.  So  you 
see  that  you  have  but  confirmed  the  knowledge  I 
already  possess.  In  saying  that,  I  do  not  wish  to 
underrate  the  value  of  the  service  you  have  performed. 
If  you  were  a  soldier,  I  should  know  how  to  reward 
you.     As  it  is  ' 

'  General,'  broke  in  Lucius,  '  I  never  thought  of 
reward.  Something  told  me  it  was  my  duty,  and  I 
tried  to  do  it.  But  if  I  have  really  been  of  service, 
give  me  leave  to  go  back.  That  is  all  I  ask. — Oh, 
General,  if  you  knew  what  friends  we  are !  If  you 
knew  what  he  has  done  for  me !     And  I  stand   here 

talking  while  perhaps  he Oh,  General,  let  me  go ! 

let  me  go  !'  He  sprang  forwards  with  clasped  hands, 
his  chest  heaving,  his  breath  coming  and  going  in 
quick,  short  gasps,  while  great  tears,  which  only  pride 
kept  from  falling,  rose  in  his  eyes. 

'  You  are  a  devoted  friend,  young  man,'  said  Jackson, 
moved  by  his  passionate  appeal.     'If  I  thought  you 

could  do  any  good You  know  the  country  ?'  he 

broke  off. 

'  Oh  yes,  yes,'  cried  Lucius.  '  That  part  of  it,  at 
least.     Haven't  I  been  running  around  there  all  day  ?' 

'  When  you  broke  away  from  the  sentry  who  stopped 
you,  and  took  to  flight,  I  suppose  you  would  both  be 
likely  to  take  the  same  direction?'  queried  General 
Jackson. 

'  I  imagine  so,'  answered  Lucius.     '  Why  ?' 


220  HOW   THE   DESPATCH   WAS   BROUGHT. 

'  Because  if  your  friend  succeeded  in  making  our 
lines,  he  would  most  likely  enter  them  at  or  near  the 
point  that  you  did.  Come,'  he  added  kindly ;  '  to 
relieve  your  anxiety,  we  will  go  together  and  make 
inquiries.' 

He  caught  up  his  hat,  and  beckoning  Lucius  to  follow 
him,  strode  out  of  the  room. 

Outside,  the  adjutant-general  was  anxiously  awaiting 
him,  and  Jackson  stopped  a  moment  to  whisper  a  few 
instructions. 

'  Tell  them  to  meet  me  here  in  three-quarters  of  an 
hour,'  he  concluded. — '  Now,  young  man,  come  with 
me.' 

They  walked  on  for  some  distance  in  silence ;  but  at 
last  Lucius  said  shyly :  '  I  beg  your  pardon,  General, 
but  we  could  hear  the  firing  as  we  lay  in  the  woods. 
Would  you  mind  telling  me  whether  you  whipped 
Fremont  to-day,  or  yesterday,  for  I  don't  know  what 
the  time  is  ?' 

'  By  the  blessing  of  God  we  were  victorious,'  answered 
Jackson  devoutly. 

'  Hurrah  ! '  cried  Lucius.  '  We  were  certain  you 
would  be.  It  will  be  the  same  to-day,  or  to-morrow, 
or  whenever  it  is.  Oh,  General,  when  we  stood  among 
the  Yanks  this  morning  and  watched  you  on  the  hill 
when  our  fellows  carried  the  bridge,  we  felt  we 
wouldn't  mind  being  killed,  so  long  as  our  side  won. 
It  was  glorious  !' 

'  You  ought  to  have  been  soldiers,  you  two,'  said 
Jackson,  laughing  at  his  enthusiasm  ;  '  but  I  suppose 
you  prefer  your  ploughs  and  harrows.  Farmers,  aren't 
you  V 

'  Oh,  well,  some  one  must  look  after   the  crops,  I 


HOW   THE    DESPATCH    WAS    BROUGHT.  221 

suppose/  answered  Lucius  evasively,  glad  of  this 
loophole  to  escape  the  inconvenient  question  of 
identity. 

'  Quite  so,'  admitted  the  General  with  a  sigh ;  '  but  I 
fear  that  before  long  you  will  have  to  beat  your 
ploughshares  into  swords,  for  we  shall  need  all  the 
stout  hearts  and  strong  arms  we  can  muster  in  the 
trouble  that  is  coming  upon  us.' 

'  You  shan't  have  to  wait  long  for  me,'  exclaimed 
Lucius  fervently.  '  Once  I  get  home  again,  nothing 
shall  keep  me  from  joining,  and  so  I  '11  tell  them.' 

'  Halt !     Who  comes  there  ?' 

It  was  a  sentry  on  the  inner  line  of  pickets  who 
challenged  them,  and  as  in  answer  to  the  General's 
question  he  reported  all  well,  they  passed  beyond  him 
and  hurried  towards  the  outposts. 

Here,  too,  all  was  quiet.  There  had  been  no  further 
scare,  and  presently  they  reached  the  picket  in  charge 
of  the  captain  who  had  forwarded  Lucius  to  head- 
quarters. He  saluted  the  General,  and  glancing  in 
some  surprise  at  Lucius,  whom  he  recognised,  observed 
that  he  hoped  he  had  been  right  in  what  he  had  done. 

'  Perfectly,'  returned  Jackson.  '  No  one  else  has 
come  in  since  this  young  man,  I  suppose  ? ' 

'  Only  one  of  our  scouts,  sir,'  replied  the  captain. 
'  He  is  on  his  way  to  you  now.  He  reported  a  scrim- 
mage somewhere  between  this  and  Lewiston.  He 
couldn't  tell  what  it  was  about ;  but  there  was  a  o-reat 
fuss,  and  some  one,  he  presumed  a  prisoner,  was  being- 
taken  to  the  Federal  camp.  He  was  unable  to  ascertain 
whether  it  was  one  of  his  brother  scouts  or  not.' 

At  this  doleful  communication,  Lucius  felt  his  heart 
leap,  and   like  lightning   a  plan  flashed    through    his 


222  HOW   THE   DESPATCH    WAS   BROUGHT. 

brain.  He  sprang  to  Jackson's  side,  and  caught  his 
hand  in  both  his  own. 

'  General/  he  cried  in  piercing  tones, '  that  must  have 
been  my  friend.  I  am  sure  of  it.  I  will  go,  if  I  die 
for  it.  Do  you  remember  you  spoke  to  me  in  Staunton 
that  Sunday  ?  I  am  Lucius  Markham.  If  I  never 
come  back,  tell  my  father  it  was  I  who  brought  in 
the  despatch.'  And  before  the  astonished  General  could 
move  a  finger  to  stop  him,  he  had  darted  away  and 
sprung  beyond  the  outpost. 

'  Stop  him  !  Fire  on  him  !'  shouted  the  captain,  who 
was  very  far  from  comprehending  the  meaning  of  the 
scene. 

'  Order  arms !'  commanded  the  General  loudly,  as 
some  of  the  soldiers  levelled  their  guns  at  the  rapidly 
disappearing  Lucius.  '  Let  him  go.  You  will  never 
catch  him  now.  No  pursuit,  captain.  Good-night.' 
He  turned  away  and  walked  quickly  back  to  his 
quarters.  'Lucius  Markham!'  he  muttered  to  himself 
as  he  hurried  along.  '  Well,  somehow  I  thought  I 
knew  his  face.  The  plucky  little  rascal !  I  remember 
he  was  burning  to  be  allowed  to  join.  What  with  his 
dirt  and  his  bandages,  he  looked  so  much  older  that  it 
is  no  wonder  I  did  not  recognise  him.  Who  is  this 
friend  of  his,  and  what  have  they  been  up  to  between 
them  ?  Well,  well,  I  can  do  nothing  but  pray  that  no 
evil  may  befall  him,  for  his  father's  sake.  He  is  in 
the  hand  of  God.     I  can  do  nothing — nothing.' 

A  solitary  shot  from  the  direction  of  the  Federal 
outposts.  General  Jackson  stopped  and  listened 
anxiously.  Then  as  all  was  still,  he  shook  his  head 
sadly,  and  turning  once  more  upon  his  heel,  went 
slowly  on. 


CHAPTER     XIV. 


GRIZZLY    IN    THE    TOILS. 

^j-r^'-A  PHRAIM  was  not  lonsj  in  followinp'  out  his 
j'l^  own  recommendation  to  Lucius,  but  unfor- 
^^^V  tunately,  instead  of  bearing  away  to  the  left, 
'^''^*'  he  took  a  straighter  line,  and  before  he 
had  gone  fifty  yards,  found  himself  surrounded  by 
a  dozen  men,  who  had  approached  the  scene  of  con- 
flict with  more  caution  and  less  noise  than  their 
fellow-soldiers.  The  Grizzly,  indeed,  was  among  them 
before  he  was  aware  of  their  presence,  and  ere  he 
could  attempt  to  resist  or  break  through  the  circle, 
was  firmly  seized  and  held  fast. 

*I  guess  we've  got  some  one,'  said  a  rough  voice. 
'Who  may  yew  be,  and  whar  air  yew  running  to  V 

Ephraim  did  not  answer  at  once.  His  first  thoughts, 
as  usual,  were  of  Lucius,  and  he  was  listening  intently 
for  any  sign  which  might  indicate  his  capture.  Pres- 
ently he  heard  the  boy's  voice  shouting  misleading 
directions  as  he  practised  his  simple  ruse  de  guerre, 
and  once  more  at  rest  upon  this  point,  gave  attention 
to  the  question,  which  was  now  repeated  in  a  more 
peremptory  tone. 

'  Waal,'    answered   Ephraim    slowly,   feeling,   as    it 


224  GRIZZLY    IN   THE   TOILS. 

were,  for  his  words,  '  I  heard  a  fuss,  and  I  was  runnin' 
to  see  what  the  trouble  was.' 

'I  reckon  yew  must  have  an  outrageous  fine  bump 
of  locality/  said  another  man  sneeringly,  '  seeing  that 
yew  're  making  tracks  in  a  teetotally  wrong  direction. 
— Hi !  Pete,  hurry  up  with  the  lantern,  and  let 's  have 
a  look  at  this  coon.' 

'  Ef  I  don't  keep  a  level  head,'  thought  Ephraim, 
as  he  heard  this,  '  I  'm  a  goner,  shore.  Waal,  it 
don't  matter  much,  ez  long  ez  Luce  is  safe,  and  I 
reckon  he  is,  so  fur,  fer  I  don't  hear  any  row. — Oh  ! 
Ugh!' 

The  expression  of  pain  was  wrung  from  him  as  the 
grasp  of  one  of  his  captors  tightened  upon  his  wounded 
shoulder. 

'What's  the  matter  with  yew  ?' inquired  the  man. 
'  My  land  !  My  hand  is  all  wet.  So  's  his  shoulder. 
Quick  with  the  light !  Why,  it 's  blood !  I  guess, 
corporal,  he  war  running  from  the  trouble,  not  towards 
it.     No  wonder  he  war  in  sech  a  hurry.' 

The  corporal  stepped  up  and  examined  Ephraim's 
torn  coat  and  lacerated  shoulder  by  the  light  of  the 
lantern. 

'Humph!'  he  ejaculated.  'A  nasty  rake,  and  a 
fresh  wound,  too.     How  did  you  come  by  this  ? ' 

*  I  reckon  something  must  hev  struck  me,'  returned 
Ephraim,  as  though  he  were  now  receiving  news  of 
his  wound  for  the  first  time.  '  Thar 's  sech  a  heap  er 
things  flying  around  these  days,  ye  can't  tell  whar 
they  come  from  or  whar  they  go  ter.' 

'  This  is  no  bullet  wound,  though,'  said  the  corporal, 
examining  it  again.  '  It 's  been  done  by  a  bayonet. — • 
Come,  you,  tell   us  what   happened.     Did   you    meet 


GRIZZLY    IN    THE    TOILS.  225 

the  Reb  ?'     For  he  noted  that  Ephraim  was  clad   in 
the  Federal  blue. 

'I  'magine  it  must  hev  been  suthin'  er  thet  sort/ 
replied  Ephraim  cautiously.  '  Ennyway,  I  run  up 
agin  suthin'  or  somebody,  and  thet 's  the  fact.' 

'Where  did  it  happen  ?'  asked  the  corporal. 

'  Somewhar  round.  It  mought  hev  been  hyar  and 
it  mought  hev  been  thar.     I  can't  ezackly  say.' 

'Did  your  assailant  bolt  after  wounding  you?'  was 
the  corporal's  next  question. 

'  I  didn't  stop  ter  see,'  began  Ephraim,  when  a  loud 
shout  close  by  announced  that  the  question  had  received 
a  practical  answer  by  the  discovery  of  the  body  of 
Sergeant  Mason. 

'  Hi !  Help  !'  shouted  a  voice.  '  Thar  's  a  dead  soldier 
over  hyar.  No,  he  ain't  dead ;  but  he  's  got  it  pretty 
bad.     Help !' 

The  corporal  rushed  in  the  direction  of  the  hail, 
and  the  soldiers  hurried  Ephraim  after  him.  Presently 
they  came  to  the  scene  of  the  late  scrimmage,  where 
the  sergeant  still  lay  upon  his  back,  moaning  faintly. 

'  Why,  if  it  isn't  Sergeant  Mason  ! '  cried  the  corporal, 
bending  over  the  prostrate  man. — '  Did  you  do  this  ?' 
he  demanded  fiercely,  straightening  up  and  facing 
Ephraim. 

The  Grizzly  recognised  that  further  concealment  was 
useless,  so  he  answered  firmly :  '  It  war  in  fair  fight, 
corporal.  I  reckon  ef  it  hadn't  been  him  lyin'  thar, 
it  would  hev  been  me,  so  maybe  it 's  ez  well  ez  it  is.' 

'  Then  I  guess  you  're  the  man  we  want,'  cried  the 
corporal. — *  Boys,  this  is  the  pesky  Secesh,  what 's 
given  so  much  trouble  to-day,  going  round  in  Federal 
uniform.     I   bet  it  is. — We  've  got  you  now,  Johnny 

o 


226  GRIZZLY    IN    THE   TOILS. 

Rob,  so  you  may  as  well  own  up.     Who  are  you,  any 

how  ?' 

'  I  reckon  you  make  me  tired  with  your  questions,' 
answered  Ephraim.  '  I  shan't  answer  no  more.  Ye 
ain't  the  provost-marshal,  air  ye  V 

'  Ho !  it"  it 's  him  you  want  to  see,'  mocked  the 
corporal,  '  I  guess  we  won't  be  long  gratifying  your 
desires. — Hey,  boj's  ?' 

A  low  muttering  among  the  men  swelled  suddenly 
into  a  shout,  and  there  was  an  ugly  rush  in  the 
direction  of  Ephraim.  The  corporal  threw  himself 
in  the  way  of  it. 

'  No,  no,  boys,'  he  cried.  '  I  guess  his  time  is  short 
enough  without  your  cutting  it  shorter.  Besides,  fair's 
fair,  and  the  fellow  that  could  get  the  best  of  Sergeant 
Mason  in  a  tussle  must  l)e  a  stark  lighter  and  a  pretty 
average  kind  of  a  man.  Let  him  take  his  chance 
with  the  provost-marshal.  I  reckon  it 's  his  business, 
not  ours.' 

The  men,  appealed  to  in  this  soldierly  fashion,  fell 
back,  and  at  the  corporal's  direction  four  of  them 
raised  the  fallen  Sergeant  Mason  and  started  for  the 
camp,  bearing  him  between  them. 

'  Now,  you,'  said  the  corporal,  '  since  you  're  in  such 
a  hurry,  step  out,  and  we'll  call  on  your  friend  the 
provost-marshal.  I  shouldn't  wonder  if  he  was  wait- 
ing up  to  receive  you. — Fetch  him  along,  boys.' 

"'  Corporal,'  asked  the  Grizzly  in  a  weak  voice,  '  kin 

I  hev  a  drink  er  water  ?     I ' The  words  failed 

on  his  lips,  he  staggered  and  would  have  fallen, 
but  for  the  supporting  arms  of  the  two  men  who 
held  him. 

'My  land!'  exclaimed   the  corporal.  'I'd  forgotten 


GRIZZLY    IN    THE    TOILS.  227 

his  wound.  Lay  him  down  on  the  ground. — Hyar, 
drink  this.  We  may  be  Yankees,  Johnny  Reb  ;  but 
we  are  not  brutes  by  a  good  deal.'  He  held  his  canteen 
to  Ephraim's  lips,  and  when  the  latter  had  satisfied 
his  thirst,  rapidly  cut  away  his  coat  and  made  a  fresh 
examination  of  the  wound. 

'  There,'  he  said,  arranging  his  own  handkerchief  as 
a  pad  over  the  gash,  and  binding  it  in  its  place  with 
another  which  one  of  the  men  handed  to  him — '  you  '11 
do  now  till  the  surgeon  can  get  his  paws  on  you. 
It 's  only  a  scratch,  though  it 's  a  pretty  deep  one. 
Feel  better?' 

'  I  'm  obleeged  ter  ye,'  said  Grizzly,  sitting  up.  '  I  'm 
all  right  agen  now.  It  war  water  I  wanted. — No,' 
as  he  rose  to  his  feet,  '  ye  needn't  carry  me.  I  kin 
walk  well  enufF.' 

'Are  you  sure?'  demurred  the  corporal,  who  was 
prepossessed  in  Ephraim's  favour  on  account  of  his 
prowess  in  having  overthrown  such  a  mighty  man 
of  valour  as  Sergeant  Mason.  '  It  '11  be  easy  enough 
to  have  you  carried.' 

'  I  '11  walk  while  I  kin  walk,'  returned  Ephraim 
with  grim  humour.  'Ye  kin  carry  me  after  the 
shootin'.  Or  I  reckon  it 's  hangin'  when  ye  're  ketched 
spy  in'  around  ;  ain't  it  ? ' 

'  I  'm  afraid  it  is,'  answered  the  corporal  as  they 
moved  along.  '  And  I  wish  it  wasn't,  for  you  're  a 
brave  man,  and  I  'd  sooner  see  you  with  an  ounce 
of  lead  in  j^our  brain  than  dangling  at  the  end  of  a 
rope.' 

'  That 's  real  kind  of  you,  corporal,'  said  Ephraim. 
'  The  selection  is  very  ch'ice ;  but  I  'low  the  result 
won't  make  much  difference  ter  me.' 


228  GRIZZLY    IN   THE   TOILS. 

The  corporal  seemed  to  feel  the  force  of  this,  for 
he  made  no  reply,  and  they  continued  their  way  in 
silence  until  the  groups  of  smouldering  bivouac  fires 
showed  that  they  had  reached  the  outer  line  of  the 
camp.  Passing  through  the  long  rows  of  slumbering 
soldiers,  they  came  at  last  to  the  guard  tent,  and  here 
the  corporal,  on  making  inquiries,  was  referred  to  the 
officer  of  the  day,  who  in  his  turn  directed  them  to 
the  provost-marshal. 

They  found  that  this  dreaded  functionary  had  left 
word  that,  in  the  event  of  the  capture  of  the  spy,  he 
was  to  be  awakened  at  once,  no  matter  what  the  hour ; 
but  as  a  matter  of  fact  he  arrived  upon  the  scene  in 
a  very  bad  humour,  for  after  waiting  up  till  consider- 
ably past  midnight,  he  had  thought  that  he  might 
safely  turn  in,  and  now  his  first  sweet,  refreshing  sleep 
had  been  rudely  broken.  That  this  was  due  to  the 
strictness  of  his  own  orders  did  not  tend  to  soothe 
him,  for  there  was  nobody  to  shift  the  blame  upon,  and 
to  be  reduced  to  OTumblino-  at  one's  self  is  a  state 
that  offers  little  consolation.  Yes,  there  was  some 
one,  though,  upon  whom  the  vials  of  his  wrath  might 
be  legitimately  emptied,  and  the  provost-marshal 
determined  that  the  spy — if  spy  he  really  proved  to 
be — should  have  nothing  to  complain  of  on  the  score 
of  undue  leniency. 

'  Bring  that  prisoner  in  here,'  he  said,  appearing  at 
the  entrance  to  his  tent. — *  Now,  corporal,  is  this  the 
spy?' 

'  Can't  say,  sir,'  answered  the  corporal ;  '  but  I 
shouldn't  wonder  if  it  were.  I  captured  him  as  he 
was  attempting  to  escape  after  clubbing  Sergeant 
Mason.' 


GRIZZLY    IN   THE   TOILS.  229 

The  provost-marshal,  who  had  seated  himself  at  a 
small  table  with  a  note-book  before  him  and  a  pencil 
in  his  hand,  looked  up  in  surprise  at  this.  'Do  I 
understand  you  to  say,'  he  asked,  '  that  this  weedy 
creature  actually  got  the  best  of  Sergeant  Mason  ?' 

'  It 's  a  fact,  sir,'  replied  the  corporal.  '  Mason  has 
got  a  crack  on  the  head  that  will  keep  him  quiet  this 
long  time.  Of  course  I  didn't  see  the  fight  myself, 
but  this  fellow  here  don't  deny  that  he  is  the  man, 
and  he  has  a  bayonet  wound  in  the  shoulder  to  speak 
for  the  truth  of  what  he  says.' 

'  Humph !'  muttered  the  provost-marshal.  'I  shouldn't 
have  thought  it  possible.  Well,  I  '11  question  him. — By 
the  way,  corporal,  did  you  hear  or  see  anything  of 
those  other  two  fellows  V 

'No,  sir,'  answered  the  corporal,  understanding  the 
reference ;  '  but  I  heard,  sir,  that  Colonel  Spriggs  was 
still  out  on  the  hunt  for  them.' 

The  provost-marshal's  moustache  was  slightly 
agitated.  So  grim  a  person  could  not  be  expected 
to  smile  ;  but  his  amused  thought  was  evidently : 
'  Spriggs  will  take  precious  good  care  not  to  return  to 
camp  until  Jackson  moves  from  Port  Republic,  or  we 
move  from  here.' 

For  Ephraim,  too,  the  announcement  had  a  special 
interest,  for  it  showed  him  that  his  identity  with  one 
of  the  escaped  aeronauts  was  not,  so  far,  suspected,  and 
hence  the  provost-marshal  could  have  no  idea  that  any 
one  else  had  been  concerned  in  the  affair  of  the  despatch. 
Lucius,  he  hoped,  was  by  this  time  out  of  harm's 
way ;  but  at  all  events  Spriggs  was  not  there  to 
complicate  matters  by  referring  to  him.  The  Grizzly 
was  quite  prepared  to  take  the  onus  of  the  theft  of 


230  GRIZZLY   IN   THE   TOILS. 

the  despatch  upon  his  own  shoulder.s,  and  he  awaited 
cahnly  the  discovery  of  the  packet.  Casting  his  eyes 
downwards  to  his  cartridge  pouch,  he  saw  with  some 
slight  surprise  that  the  flap  was  unfastened.  He  had 
been  very  particular  about  the  fastening,  lest  by  any 
chance  the  papers  should  be  lost,  and  he  wondered 
whether  it  had  conie  undone  during  his  combat  with 
Sergeant  Mason.  He  was  roused  from  his  meditations 
by  the  voice  of  the  provost-marshal  questioning  him. 
'  Are  you  a  soldier  or  civilian  ? ' 

*  Civilian,  sir.  I  am  a  factory  hand  at  the  iron- 
works at  Staunton.  I  came  into  your  lines  by  accident, 
and  'cause  I  wanted  ter  git  out  agen  without  comin' 
ter  grief,  I  put  on  these  clothes  thet  I  found  in  the 
wood.' 

*  Ah  !  I  suppose  it  was  also  by  accident  that,  thus 
disguised  as  a  Federal  soldier,  you  played  the  part 
of  sentry,  and  became  fraudulently  possessed  of  a 
despatch  belonging  to  General  Shields  and  addressed 
to  General  Fremont  ?  And  I  imagine  that  if,  by 
another  and  very  lucky  accident,  you  had  fallen  in 
with  your  friends,  the  enemy,  you  would  have  felt 
compelled  to  hand  the  despatch  over  to  them.  It  is 
fortunate  that  we  got  hold  of  you  first.' 

This  was  a  shot  on  the  part  of  the  provost-marshal, 
for  he  had  as  yet  no  means  of  knowing  that  Ephraim 
and  the  man  who  had  stopped  Captain  Hopkins  were 
one  and  the  same.  As  Ephraim  did  not  answer,  he 
went  on  :  '  Have  you  got  the  despatch,  corporal  ?' 

'  No,  sir,'  replied  the  corporal.  '  I  was  busy  attending 
to  his  wound  and  bringing  him  here.' 

'  Search  him,  then.' 

The  corporal  searched    Ephraim   literally  down    to 


GRIZZLY    IN   THE   TOILS.  231 

his  skin,  and  to  the  surprise  of  no  one  more  than  the 
Grizzly  himself,  discovered  nothing. 

'  They  must  hev  dropped  out  while  the  row  war 
goin'  on,'  thought  Ephraim  ;  for  it  never  crossed  his 
mind  that  by  an  accidental  exchange  of  belts  the  papers 
had  come  into  Luce's  hands.  Had  he  suspected  this, 
he  would  have  felt  miserable  indeed. 

'  What  have  you  done  with  that  despatch,  you 
fellow?  What  is  your  name?'  asked  the  provost-mar- 
shal angrily. 

'  Ephraim  Sykes,'  answered  the  Grizzly,  paying  no 
attention  to  the  more  important  question. 

'  Psha !  Where  is  the  despatch  ? — Well,  do  you 
not  intend  to  answer?'  For  still  Ephraim  held  his 
peace. 

'I  told  ye  the  truth  jest  now,'  said  Ephraim  at  last. 
'I  war  tryin'  ter  git  out  er  your  lines,  whar  I  come 
without  any  wi.sh  er  my  own.  I  hevn't  got  any 
despatch,  ez  ye  kin  see.' 

'What  have  you  done  with  it,  then  ?' inquired  the 
provost-marshal  impatiently. 

'I  hevn't  said  I  ever  had  it,'  answered  Ephraim, 
anxious  to  gain  time.  '  Ef  ye  air  so  ready  ter  accuse 
me,  ye  'd  better  start  in  and  prove  me  guilty.  I  'm 
not  supposed  ter  do  it  fer  ye,  I  reckon.' 

The  officer  eyed  him  sternly.  '  Justice  shall  be  done, 
my  man  ;  don't  you  be  afraid  of  that,'  he  said  signifi- 
cantly.— 'Corporal!'  He  gave  an  order  in  an  under- 
tone, and  the  corporal  immediately  left  the  tent. 

In  a  few  minutes  he  returned,  followed  by  Captain 
Hopkins,  who  entered  with  a  look  of  eager  expectation 
on  his  face. 

'  Do   you  recognise   this  man,  captain  ? '  asked  the 


232  GRIZZLY   IN   THE   TOILS. 

provost-marshal. — '  You,  Sykes,  come  forward  into  the 
light; 

'  Recognise  him !  I  should  think  so,'  exclaimed 
Hopkins,  as  Ephraim  obeyed  the  order.  '  That  is  the 
rascal  who  personated  a  sentry  by  the  river-bank, 
stole  the  despatch  by  means  of  a  trick,  and  set  my 
boat  adrift.' 

'  You  are  certain  that  you  are  not  mistaken,  captain  ?' 

'Absolutely.  The  interview  was  too  fruitful  in 
consequences  to  allow  me  to  forget  the  interviewer. 
I  would  have  picked  this  man  out  of  a  whole  regiment.' 

The  provost-marshal  looked  at  Ephraim.  '  You  hear 
the  charge,'  he  said  briefly.     '  What  have  you  to  say  ?' 

'  Waal,  I  han't  denied  it,'  answered  Ephraim. 

*  You  mean  that  you  admit  that  you  took  the 
despatch  from  Captain  Hopkins.  I  understand  you 
to  admit  that.' 

'  It  ain't  much  use  my  doin'  anythin'  else,  so  fur  ez 
I  kin  see,'  returned  Ephraim.  '  Yes  ;  I  stopped  him 
and  took  the  despatch.' 

'  Good !  Your  intention,  of  course,  was  to  deliver 
it  to  the  enemy  ? ' 

'  Nary  a  doubt  er  thet,'  admitted  E2:)hraim. 

'By  whom  you  were  commissioned  to  enter  our 
lines  and  collect  whatever  information  you  could  ?' 

'  Not  at  all,'  answered  Ephraim  sharply.  '  It  war 
jest  ez  I  told  ye.  I  war  a  civilian  tryin'  to  escape 
out  of  ycr  lines.  But  the  chance  came  ter  me,  and 
I  took  it.' 

'  I  need  not  tell  you  in  return  that  the  taking  of 
that  chance  will  cost  you  your  life ;  for  civilian  though 
you  may  be,  you  are  probably  acquainted  with  the 
punishment    incurred    by   a   spy.     It    matters   not   at 


GRIZZLY    IN    THE    TOILS.  233 

all  that  the  paper  has  not  been  found  upon  you, 
since  you  have  been  identified  and  have  confessed 
your  guilt ' 

'  Guilt !'  put  in  Ephraim  quietly.  '  I  han't  confessed 
to  any  guilt  ez  fur  ez  I  know.  I  don't  call  it  a  crime 
ter  try  and  serve  my  country,  whatever  ye  may  do,' 

'  We  won't  go  into  the  question  of  patriotism  either,' 
returned  the  provost-marshal.  '  Unfortunately  for  you, 
when  a  man  is  caught  serving  his  country  in  the 
particular  fashion  in  which  you  have  elected  to 
serve  yours,  there  is  only  one  thing  to  be  done  with 
him.' 

'  I  'd  like  ter  be  allowed  ter  ask  ye,  Mister  Marshal,' 
said  Ephraim,  '  ef  thar  air  none  er  your  men  prowlin' 
around  our  lines  jest  ter  see  what  they  kin  pickup? 
What 's  the  difference  between  them  and  me  ?  Ain't 
they  servin'  their  country,  too,  accordin'  ter  their 
lights?' 

*  I  '11  allow  that,'  answered  the  provost-marshal. 
'And  if  your  fellows  can  lay  them  by  the  heels,  they 
will  serve  them  a^  we  shall  serve  you — namely,  hang 
them.  But  now,  my  man,  seeing  that  you  can't  get  off, 
and  that  there  is  but  one  end  in  store  for  you,  you 
may  as  well  tell  me  what  you  have  done  with  the 
despatch.' 

'  It  '11  make  no  difference  to  me,  ye  say  ?  Ter  the 
hangin',  thet  is  ?'  queried  Ephraim. 

The  provost-marshal  shook  his  head.  '  Not  the 
slightest,'  he  said. 

'  Then  hang  away  and  welcome.  Ye  '11  git  no  more 
out  er  me.' 

The  provost-marshal  considered  for  a  moment.  It 
was   important   to   ascertain   if   possible  whether  the 


234  GRIZZLY    IN   THE   TOILS. 

despatch  had  reached  the  enemy  or  not.  Finally  he 
said :  '  Understand  me,  my  man :  I  am  empowered 
to  deal  summarily  with  cases  like  yours.  I  might 
condemn  you  out  of  hand ;  but  if  you  will  tell 
me  truly  what  you  have  done  with  the  despatch, 
I  will  give  you  this  further  chance,  that  I  will  refer 
your  case  to  the  general  in  the  morning.  Speak  out 
now.' 

Ephraim  considered  in  his  turn.  He  did  not  give 
much  for  the  grace  of  being  brought  face  to  face  with 
General  Shields,  who  he  did  not  doubt  would  instantly 
recognise  him  as  the  purloiner  of  his  breakfast  and 
the  soi-disant  '  Trailing  Terror,'  and  so  the  matter 
would  become  more  hopelessly  complicated  than  ever. 
But  life  was  sweet,  and  if  he  could  gain  a  respite 
of  only  a  few  hours,  there  was  no  saying  what  might 
happen  in  the  interval.  He  had  risked  his  life,  and 
would  have  done  so  again,  to  carry  the  despatch 
to  the  Confederate  General ;  but  seeing  that  it  was 
lost  and  he  could  by  no  possibility  discover  it,  why 
should  he  not  simply  say  so  and  take  the  proffered 
advantage  ? 

'  Well,'  said  the  provost-marshal  at  last,  '  have  you 
made  up  your  mind  V 

'  I  hev,  sir,'  answered  EjDhraim.  '  But  if  I  tell  ye 
the  truth  ye  '11  maybe  not  b'leeve  me.' 

'  Say  your  say,  and  we  shall  see,'  returned  the  other ; 
'  but  I  seriously  advise  you  not  to  attempt  to  put  me 
off  with  any  cock-and-bull  story.' 

'  Waal,'  began  Ephraim,  '  I  'low  I  might  bluff  ye 
by  tellin'  ye  thet  I  'd  got  thet  despatch  across  the  lines, 
fer  I  reckon  thet 's  the  idee  thet 's  makin'  ye  oncom- 
fortable  ;  but  if  I  'd  got  thet  fur  with  it,  I  wouldn't 


GRIZZLY    IN    THE    TOILS.  235 

hev  been  sech  a  born  fool  ez  to  come  back  jest  fer  the 
pleasure  er  bein  hung.  The  plain  truth  is,  I  don't 
know  whar  it  is  any  more  than  ye  do  yerself.' 

'Do  you  mean  that  you  have  lost  it  ?' 

'  Nuthin'  less.  I  had  it  hyar  in  this  pouch  jest 
before  thet  rumpus  with  the  sergeant  at  the  end  of 
the  ditch,  and  I  reckon  it  must  hev  fell  out  somewhar 
thar.'  Ephraim  did  honestly  believe  this  to  be  the 
case. 

'  If  you  had  had  an  accomplice,  it  would  have  been 
a  simple  matter  to  pass  the  paper  on  to  him,'  said  the 
provost-marshal,  regarding  him  doubtfully. 

'Ye  may  be  easy  on  thet  score,'  replied  Ephraim 
firmly.  '  I  got  hold  er  the  despatch  by  myself  without 
the  help  er  any  one.  I  carried  it  in  this  pouch,  ez  I 
war  tellin'  ye,  and  I  know  thet  I  had  it  jest  before 
the  row  began.  Maybe  it 's  lyin'  around  loose  on  the 
ground  somewhar  thar.  I  'm  tellin'  ye  the  truth  and 
no  lies,'  he  added  earnestly.  '  B'leeve  me  or  not,  thet 's 
my  last  word.' 

The  provost-marshal  rose  to  his  feet,  '  Captain 
Hopkins,'  he  said,  '  return  to  your  quarters.  I  will 
send  for  you  when  I  require  you.'  Then  as  the  captain 
went  out :  '  Corporal,  place  this  man  under  guard. 
Afterwards  take  your  men  and  return  to  the  spot 
where  you  arrested  this  spy.  Make  a  thorough  search 
of  the  ground  in  the  vicinity.  If  you  find  the  despatch, 
bring  it  at  once  to  me.  If  not,  come  back  here  with 
the  prisoner  at  dawn.' 

*  Very  good,  sir,'  answered  the  corporal. — '  What 
shall    I  do  about  the  man's  wound,  sir  ?' 

'  Oh,  thet 's  nuthin','  put  in  Ephraim.  '  I  don't 
know  it 's  thar  sence  ye  tied  it  up.' 


23G  GRIZZLY    IN    THE    TOILS. 

'  The  sentiy  can  be  told  to  send  for  a  surgeon  if  ifc 
becomes  necessary  during  the  night/  said  the  provost- 
marshal.     '  Remove  the  prisoner.' 

The  corporal  retired  with  Ephraim,  whom  he 
immediately  conducted  to  an  empty  tent,  before  the 
door  of  which  he  set  a  sentry.  Then  he  unslung 
his  canteen  and  laid  it  down  on  the  ground  beside 
the  prisoner,  and  a  moment  later  forced  a  great  handful 
of  biscuit  upon  him. 

'  There,'  he  said  good-naturedly,  '  you  won't  starve 
now,  and  if  your  shoulder  troubles  you,  hail  the  sentry 
and  he  '11  send  for  a  surgeon,     I  've  told  him.' 

'Tain't  wuth  it  fer  all  the  time  I'll  know  I've  got 
an  arm,'  said  Ephraim  gloomily. 

*  Oh,  maybe  it  '11  not  be  so  bad  as  that.  If  we 
find  the  despatch,  jou  may  get  off  I  don't  say  you 
will ;  but  I  hope  so,  for  I  like  your  pluck  in  standing 
up  to  a  giant  like  Sergeant  Mason.' 

'  I  'm  obleeged  ter  ye,'  said  Ephraim  more  heartily. 
*  I  hadn't  looked  fer  so  much  kindness  from  a  Yank.' 

*Ah,  we're  not  so  black  as  we're  painted  down 
South,'  laughed  the  corporal.  'And  we're  all 
Americans,  if  it  comes  to  the  pinch,  and  don't  you 
forget  it.' 

He  nodded  kindly  and  went  out,  leaving  Ephraim 
alone  with  his  reflections. 

They  were  not  pleasant,  as  may  well  be  imagined. 
The  lad  was  brave,  but  it  takes  a  considerable  supply 
of  somewhat  unusual  fortitude  to  enable  one  to  wait 
through  the  dark  watches  of  the  night,  looking  forward 
to  the  death  which  is  to  come  with  the  dawn,  and  strive 
as  he  would,  Ephraim  found  it  hard  to  put  the  dismal 
prospect  from  him. 


GRIZZLY    IN    THE    TOILS.  237 

'  I  wish  they  'd  hung  me  out  er  hand,'  he  said  to 
himself.  '  It  would  hev  been  over  by  now.  It 's 
the  thinlvin'  what 's  ter  come  thet  makes  me  sick.'  He 
rose  and  paced  backwards  and  forwards  in  his  narrow 
prison.  '  God  be  thanked,  Luce  warn't  with  me,'  ran 
his  thoughts.  '  Ef  he 's  had  any  luck,  he  '11  be  safe 
in  our  lines  by  now.  But  I  wnsh  I  knew.  I  wish 
I  knew.  Luce  'II  be  sorry  when  he  comes  ter  hear  er 
this.  We  've  always  been  sech  friends.  Thar 's  on'y 
him  and  Aunty  Chris.  Luce  '11  take  keer  on  her ;  I 
bet  he  will.  I  'd  like  ter  see  him  once  more  before 
I  die ;  but  I  wouldn't  hev  him  hyar  fer  thet.  By  time ! 
no.  I  wonder  will  it  hurt.  I  dunno,  but  I  'd  ruther 
they  'd  shoot  me  ;  but  I  s'pose  I  ain't  good  enufF  fer 
thet.  Waal,  I  reckon  it  won't  take  long  either  way. 
Funny,  ain't  it,  ter  hev  ter  die  ?  I  reckon  I  orter  be 
thinkin'  about  heaven,  'stead  er  which  I  'm  hankerin' 
a  good  deal  after  this  old  earth.  Anyway,  I  '11  try 
and  fix  my  thorts  above,  ez  the  minister  said  last 
Sabbath.  Maybe  it  '11  do  me  good  and  make  me 
brave  ;  but  I  reckon  it 's  none  too  easy.' 

He  knelt  down  upon  the  ground  and  covered  his 
eyes  with  his  hand,  as  if  with  the  sight  of  earth  he 
would  shut  out  all  thoughts  of  it.  Then  from  his 
simple  heart  there  welled  a  passionate  prayer  to  God, 
not  for  his  own  safety,  for  he  considered  that  as  a 
thing  past  praying  for,  but  that  he  might  be  able  to 
look  Death  bravely  in  the  face,  and  meet  him  as  a  man 
should  do — that  God  would  take  care  of  Aunty  Chris, 
and  bless  and  keep  Luce  from  harm—'  Let  him  git 
home  !     Let  him  git  thar !' — and  he  was  done. 

He  rose  to  his  feet,  refreshed  in  spirit  and  steadier 
in  his  nerves.     Hope  seemed  to  have  returned  to  him, 


238  GRTZZLY    IX   THE   TOILS. 

and  there  was  something  like  a  smile  upon  his  lips  as 
he  stowed  away  the  biscuit  which  the  corporal  had 
given  him  in  his  pockets. 

'Ye  never  know  when  they  might  come  in  handy,' 
he  muttered. — 'Hello  !   What  do  ye  want  ?' 

For  the  sentry  hail  put  his  head  through  the  opening 
of  the  tent,  obscuring  the  faint  light  that  entered 
there. 

''St!'  whispered  the  sentry.  'Don't  make  a  noise. 
By  time !  Grizzly,  I  'm  sorry  ter  see  ye  fixed  up  like 
this.' 


CHAPTER    XV. 


ANY   PORT   IN   A   STORM. 

^  0  say  that  Ephraim  was  astonished  as  this 
I^L  sympathetic  remark  fell  upon  his  ear,  would 
be  to  convey  a  very  faint  idea  of  his  sensa- 
tions. For  the  moment  he  was  simply  be- 
wildered. The  voice  was  the  voice  of  a  friend,  and 
where  in  all  that  great  army  should  he  look  for  a 
friend  just  now  ? 

'Who  air  ye?'  he  attempted  to  say;  but  his  tongue 
clove  to  his  mouth,  and  no  sound  came  from  his  lips. 

He  groped  for  the  corporal's  canteen  and  took  a 
drink.  'Who  air  ye?'  he  said  at  last.  'Who  air  ye 
thet  speak  ter  me  like  thet  ?' 

His  legs  began  to  tremble  under  him.  He  sat  down 
upon  the  ground  and  took  another  sip  of  water  from 
the  canteen.  It  refreshed  him,  and  he  listened  eagerly 
for  the  reply. 

'  A  friend,'  answered  the  sentry.  '  Don't  ye  be  down 
in  the  mouth,  Eph  Sykes.  I'm  hyar  ter  help  ye. 
On'y  we  must  go  cautious,  ye  know.' 

'Who  air  ye?'  repeated  Ephraim,  'Who  air  j^e  ?' 
He  said  it  over  and  over  again  monotonously^  like  a 
parrot  repeating  the  words. 


240  ANY    PORT    IN    A   STORM. 

'  Sh  !  What 's  the  matter  with  ye  ?  Don't  ye  know 
me  ?  I  thort  ye  would.  I  'm  Jake  Summers.  Ye 
know  me  now,  don't  ye  ? ' 

'  Ah  !  I  do  thet,'  answered  Ephraim  with  cold  con- 
tempt. 'Jake  Summers,  the  Southern  Yankee.  The 
man  who  quit  old  Virginny  when  the  war  broke  out, 
and  took  sides  agin  her.  I  know  ye  well  enufF  now. 
And  ye  call  yerself  a  friend.  Yah  !  Git  out  and  leave 
me  alone.' 

'  Oh,  shet  yer  head,  Grizzly,'  was  the  retort,  given 
without  a  spice  of  ill-humour.  '  What  do  you  know  ? 
I  reckon  we  've  all  got  our  own  opinions,  and  may  be 
allowed  ter  keep  'em.  I  'm  not  the  on'y  one  by  a  long 
sight  ez  couldn't  make  up  his  mind  to  cut  loose  from 
the  old  Union,  ez  ye  know  well  enough.  I  'magine  ye 
won't  deny  a  man  the  right  ter  foller  the  call  er  his 
conscience  in  this  onnatural  war.' 

Couldn't  ye  hev  hung  on  ter  the  Union  'thout 
firin'  bullets  inter  old  Virginny,  ef  thet 's  the 
way  ye  felt  about  it,'  answered  Ephraim.  '  Any- 
way, ye  kin  settle  up  with  yer  conscience  the 
best  way  ye  please,  so  long  as  ye  git  out  er  thet. 
Quit !' 

'  Eph,'  said  the  man  earnestlj'-, 'don't  make  sech  a 
pizen  noise,  onless  ye  want  ter  wake  up  them  ez 
doesn't  feel  fer  ye  ez  I  do.  I  tell  ye  I  want  ter  be  yer 
friend  ef  ye  '11  let  me,  and  not  be  a  fool.' 

'  Garn  away,'  replied  Ephraim  dismally,  but  not  so 
roughly  as  before.     '  What  kin  ye  do  ?' 

'  I  '11  show  ye  ef  ye  '11  git  up  and  come  over  hyar, 
whar  I  kin  talk  ter  ye  'thout  bein'  heard  all  over  the 
camp,'  said  the  man. — '  Eph,  d'  ye  remember  little 
Toots  ?' 


ANY   PORT   IN   A   STORM.  241 

'  Ah,  I  remember  him,'  answered  Ephraim.  '  What 
ye  bringin'  him  up  fer  ?' 

'  Little  Toots,  my  little  b'y  Toots,'  went  on  the  man 
with  a  catch  in  his  voice.  '  The  on'y  one  me  and 
Jenny  ever  had.  D'  ye  remember,  Eph,  after  we  thort 
he  war  gittin'  well  from  the  dipthery,  how  ye  useter 
come  and  see  him,  and  bring  him  toys  ye  'd  made 
yerself.  One  time  it  war  a  little  gun,  one  time  it  war 
a  Noah's  ark  ye  'd  cut  him  outern  a  block  er  pine,  and 
another  time  it  war  a  Jack-in-the-box  thet  useter 
frighten  him  every  time  it  come  out,  and  then  make 
him  larf  till  we  thort  he'd  never  stop?'  The  rough 
voice  died  away  in  a  sob. 

'  I  don't  see  what  yer  meanin'  is,'  said  Ephraim 
uncomfortably,  for  he  hated  to  be  reminded  of  his 
little  charities. 

'  Don't  ye  ?  I  '11  larn  ye  soon.  When  we  quit  Staun- 
ton, Jenny  and  Toots  and  me,  the  little  b'y  he  sorter 
sickened  after  the  old  home,  and  he  got  weaker  and 
weaker.  We  'd  lost  everything,  Eph,  and  we  couldn't 
git  him  the  little  comforts  he  wanted,  the  pore  lamb, 
and  thar  we  hed  ter  sit  and  see  him  wastin'  before 
our  eyes,  me  and  Jenny.  Eph,  I  tell  ye,  he  war  always 
singin'  out  fer  you.  "  I  want  Grizzly,"  says  he.  "  I 
want  him  ter  bring  me  a  toy."  And  when  he  died, 
Eph,  he  war  jest  huggin'  yer  old  Jack-in-the-box  ter 
his  breast,  ez  ef  he  loved  it  too  much  ter  leave  it  behind 
him.  So  we  put  it  in  with  him,  Eph,  fer  we  couldn't 
bear  ter  take  it  from  him.'  His  voice  choked  again, 
and  he  stopped  abruptly. 

'Pore  little  Toots  !'  murmured  Ephraim  sympatheti- 
cally.    'And  so  ye  lost  him,  Jake  ?' 

'  We  did,'  answered  Jake  ;  '  and  we  thort  our  hearts 

p 


242  ANY    PORT    IN    A    STORM. 

war  broke,  we  did,  me  and  Jenny.  And  then  ter-night, 
jest  now  when  the  corporal  brought  ye  along  and  sot 
ye  in  thar  with  me  ter  look  after  ye,  I  coukln't  believe 
it  fer  a  spell.  And  then  I  thort  how  good  ye  'd  been 
ter  little  Toots,  makin'  his  little  life  thet  happy,  and 
how  fond  he  war  er  ye  and  all.  And  I  sez  ter  myself, 
I  dunno  what  Eph  Sykes  hez  been  up  ter  ;  but  I 
reckon  ef  harm  comes  ter  him  while  I  'm  hyar  ter 
keep  it  ofF'n  him,  I  '11  never  be  able  ter  look  little  Toots 
in  the  face  when  wanst  I  meet  him  again.  Now  ye 
kin  tell,  Grizzly,  ef  I  m  yer  friend  or  ef  I  ain't.* 

Ephraira  made  no  answer ;  but  in  the  dark  he  groped 
for  Jake's  hand  and  wrung  it  hard. 

'I've  got  a  plan,  Eph,' said  Jake,  returning  the 
pressure.  '  It 's  ez  simple  ez  hoein'  a  row.  On'y  we 
must  be  quick.' 

'  No,  Jake,  I  can't  let  ye  do  it,'  answered  Ephraim 
at  last.  '  Ye  can't  help  me  'thout  hurtin'  yerself ,  and 
I  can't  save  my  life  et  the  price  er  another  man's, 
'ceptin'  in  a  fair  fight.  It 's  good  er  ye,  Jake,  and  it 's 
like  what  I  remember  ye  in  the  old  days.  But  I  can't 
let  ye  do  it;  though  I'm  obleeged  ter  ye,  all  the 
same.' 

'Shucks!'  exclaimed  Jake  impatiently.  'Don't  ye 
consarn  yerself  over  me.  I  reckon  I  like  a  whole 
skin  ez  well  ez  any  man.  Thar '11  be  a  court-martial 
and  thet ;  but  they  won't  be  able  to  prove  anythin'. 
Don't  waste  time.     Hev  ye  got  a  knife  ?' 

'  On'y  a  little  wan,'  replied  Ephraim,  yielding  to  his 
persuasion. 

'Then  take  mine,  and  open  the  big  blade.  Now 
then,  rip  a  great  hole  in  the  back  er  the  tent.  Do  it 
soft,  now.     Don't  make  no  noise.     Hev  ye  done  it  ?' 


ANY   PORT   IN   A   STORM.  243 

'Yes,'  answered  Ephraim.  'Am  I  ter  git  out  thet 
way  V 

'  My  land  !  no.  Ye  'd  be  stopped  before  ye  'd  gone 
ten  paces.  It 's  on'y  fer  a  blind,  thet.  Now  come 
over  hyar.  Put  yer  hands  behind  yer  back  ez  ef  they 
war  tied,  and  step  out  alongside  me.  See  hyar,  Eph, 
this  has  got  ter  be  smartly  done,  fer  I  must  git  back 
ter  my  post  without  loss  er  time.  I  '11  take  the  resk. 
I  can't  do  everythin'  I  'd  like  ter  do  ;  but  I  '11  pilot  ye 
through  the  camp,  and  then  ye  must  make  a  break  fer 
the  woods  on  yer  own  account.  Ef  ye  let  'em  nab  ye 
agen,  ye  're  not  the  man  I  take  ye  fer.  Air  ye  ready  ? 
Then  come  along.' 

With  considerable  difficulty  Ephraim  clasped  his 
hands  behind  his  back,  owing  to  the  stiffness  in  his 
shoulder  ;  but  he  set  his  teeth  and  bore  the  pain,  and 
while  Jake  grasped  him  by  the  arm,  the  two  of  them 
set  out  with  soft  but  rapid  steps  through  the  slumber- 
ing camp. 

Here  and  there  a  head  was  sleepily  lifted;  but  the 
sight  of  a  prisoner  at  any  hour  of  the  day  or  night 
was  altogether  too  common  to  attract  serious  attention, 
and  only  once  did  Jake  open  his  mouth  to  inform  a 
sentry  that  he  was  taking  his  charge  to  the  provost- 
marshal. 

Presently  they  reached  the  tent  where  the  stern 
dispenser  of  martial  law  slept  in  blissful  unconscious- 
ness that  his  prey  was  on  the  point  of  slipping  through 
his  fingers.  Needless  to  say  they  did  not  enter  his 
tent,  which  was  at  the  extreme  end  of  the  camp  near 
the  river,  but  making  a  slight  detour,  slipped  past  it, 
and  almost  immediately  afterwards  Jake  came  to  a 
halt. 


244  ANY   PORT   IN    A   STOR^T. 

'  Thet  's  all  I  kin  do  fer  ye,  Grizzly,'  he  whispered. 
'  Ye  must  trust  ter  luck  fer  the  rest.  God  send  ye  git 
safe  in.  Give  a  kind  thort  ter  Uncle  Sam  sometimes 
fer  this  night's  work.'  And  before  Ephraim  could 
utter  a  word  of  the  thanks  that  rushed  to  his  lips,  his 
benefactor  had  turned  and  left  him. 

'  Waal,'  thought  Ephraim,  as  he  cast  himself  at  full 
length  upon  the  ground  in  order  to  escape  observation, 
'  thet  Jake  Summers  is  a  man  down  ter  his  boots.  To 
think  of  the  few  toys  I  give  little  Toots  bringin'  about 
all  this.  I  never  thort  when  I  made  him  thet  Jack-in- 
the-box  thet  it  war  ter  be  the  savin'  er  my  life.  My 
land  !   I  kin  sca'cely  onderstand  it.' 

As  he  lay,  he  rapidly  revolved  plan  after  plan  for 
his  further  procedure,  rejecting  them  all,  till  at  last  he 
made  up  his  mind  to  attempt  to  reach  the  hut  in  the 
forest,  and  conceal  himself  therein  until  the  day  broke. 

'  It 's  resky,'  he  thought  to  himself ;  '  but  then  every- 
thin'  's  resky  jest  now.  And  it 's  better  than  wanderin' 
round  in  the  dark,  when  I  might  plump  up  against  a 
Yank  before  I  knew  whar  I  war.  Thet  window  is  so 
handy,  too.  Onless  they  come  on  me  from  all  sides  at 
wanst,  I  kin  slip  through  it  nicely  and  away  inter  the 
woods.' 

He  stole  across  the  fields,  bending  almost  to  the 
ground  lest  any  prowling  Federal  or  lynx-eyed  sentry 
should  catch  sight  of  him  ;  nor  did  he  pause  to  take 
breath  until  he  reached  the  long  ditch,  at  the  far  end 
of  which  he  had  waged  that  memorable  battle  with 
Sergeant  Mason,  which  had,  after  all,  resulted  so  disas- 
trously for  himself. 

'  I  wonder  whether  the  corporal  has  found  the 
despatch,'  he  thought,  as  he  rested  his   back   against 


ANY   PORT    IN   A   STORM.  245 

the  sloping  side  of  the  ditch.  '  It  must  hev  dropped 
out  soraewhar  thar.  He  's  a  good  man,  thet  corporal, 
and  e£  I  git  cl'ar  of  this  scrape,  I  won't  hev  so  many 
hard  things  ter  say  agin  the  Yanks  after  ter-night. 
'Ceptin',  of  co'se,  that  pesky  Gunnel  Spriggs.  But 
then,  I  reckon,  he  sorter  stands  alone,  bein',  as  Ginrul 
Shields  said,  a  disgrace  ter  everybody.  I  wonder  whar 
he  is,  the  critter  !  Layin'  on  ter  be  lookin'  fer  us, 
when  all  he  wants  is  ter  be  quit  er  the  fight  ter-morrer, 
or  ter-day,  for  I  guess  it 's  been  ter-day  this  two  hours 
back.  I  wonder  ef  thar  will  be  a  battle.  It  '11  simplif}^ 
matters  a  good  deal  fer  me  ef  thar  is,  fer  the  Yanks 
will  hev  enufF  ter  do  'thout  huntin'  me.  I  wonder 
whar  Luce  kin  be  ?  I  hope  he 's  made  our  lines  all 
right.  My  land  !  I  'd  jest  better  quit  wonderin'  and 
'tend  ter  business.' 

He  started  off  again,  going  warily,  and  anon  reached, 
without  accident,  the  sliort  arm  of  the  wood,  through 
which  he  groped  cautiously  until  he  came  opposite 
to  the  back  of  the  hut.  Here  he  paused  again,  and 
throwing  himself  down,  crawled  on  his  hands  and 
knees  across  the  short  strip  of  intervening  ground. 
At  the  window  he  raised  himself  up  cautiously  and 
listened  intently.  Not  a  sound  broke  the  stillness, 
and  satisfied  at  last,  he  edged  his  way  round  to  the 
front. 

'  All  cl'ar,'  he  thought.  '  Thet 's  well.  Now  I  '11  set 
down  jest  inside  the  door,  and  then  ef  anybody  comes 
I  kin  slip  in  and  away  through  the  window,  or  out 
across  the  open  ez  the  case  may  be.  It 's  oncomfort- 
ably  nigh  the  camp,  this  cabin;  but  I  'magine  it's 
the  safest  place  till  the  mornin'  breaks.' 

He  sat  down  at  the  door  of  the  cabin,  and  pulling 


246  ANY   PORT   IN   A   STORM. 

out  a  piece  of  the  corporal's  biscuit,  ate  it  with  relish. 
Half  an  hour  passed,  and  the  deep  stillness  acting 
soothingly  upon  his  tired  nerves,  he  began  to  feel 
drowsy,  and  actually  nodded  once  or  twice. 

'  This  won't  do,'  he  muttered.     '  I  must  keep  awake  ; 

it' Another  nod,  and  then  he  sprang  noiselessly 

to  his  feet,  wide  awake  and  quivering  in  every  limb. 
He  heard,  or  thought  he  beard,  a  scratching  sound 
at  the  window  of  the  hut. 

He  strained  his  ears  to  listen,  ready  the  instant  that 
doubt  became  certainty  to  flee  across  the  open  into 
the  fields  once  more. 

Again  that  faint  scratching  sound,  this  time  a  little 
louder,  and  accompanied  by  a  gentle  tapping. 

'It's  a  squirr'l,  I  reckon,'  thought  Ephraim,  much 
relieved.     'He  has  maybe  got  a  knot  hole  on  the  roof.' 

'  Whippo-wil !  whippo-wil !  whippo-wil !' 

Ephraim  stiffened  into  attention  again.  There  was 
nothing  extraordinary  about  the  sound.  It  was  night, 
or  rather  very  early  morning,  the  time  when  the 
whip-poor-wills  took  their  exercise  and  screamed  out 
their  loud,  clear  notes ;  but  there  was  something  else. 
In  the  old  days  at  Staunton,  which  the  stai'tling  events 
of  the  last  four-and-twenty  hours  had  crowded  so  far 
into  the  background  that  they  seemed  removed  by 
a  distance  of  years  from  the  present,  it  had  been 
Luce's  custom  to  come  whip-poor-willing  down  the 
little  back  street  where  Ephraim  lived,  to  give  his 
friend  timely  notice  of  his  approach.  Therefore  the 
sound  had  a  greater  significance  for  the  Grizzly. 

'Hear  thet  bird!'  he  said  to  himself.  'It's  jest 
what  Luce  use  ter  do.  My !  I  wonder  will  I  ever 
Cfit  back  to  the  old  home  again.' 


ANY    PORT    IN    A   STORM.  247 

'  AVhippo-wil !  whippo-wil !  wLippo-wil !  Tap,  tap, 
tap  !' 

Now  a  whip-poor-will  may  sing  its  song  at  night, 
but  it  does  not  usually  perch  upon  a  window-sill  and 
lightly  tap  to  attract  attention,  and  this  was  borne 
home  to  Ephraim  when  for  the  third  time  the  cry 
was  repeated,  followed  by  the  mysterious  rapping. 

Ephraim's  heart  gave  a  great  leap.  '  It  can't  be !' 
he  said,  in  the  silence  of  his  brain.  '  It  can't  be !  I 
reckon  I  must  find  out,  though.' 

He  crept  noiselessly  round  the  cabin  and  peered 
beyond  the  angle  of  the  wall  in  the  direction  of 
the  window. 

The  space  at  the  back  of  the  hut  was  darker  than 
that  at  the  front,  for  the  nearness  of  the  woods  threw 
an  additional  gloom  ;  but  Ephraim,  staring  into  the 
dark,  could  just  make  out  a  figure  standing  at  a 
little  distance  from  the  window  with  outstretched  arm, 
which  rose  and  fell  rhythmically,  and  at  every  move- 
ment came  the  light  tap,  tap  of  a  switch  upon  the 
sill. 

*  Whippo-wil !   whippo ' 

'Luce !' 

'Grizzly!' 

There  was  a  rush  through  the  darkness,  the  shock 
of  a  violent  meeting,  and  panting,  trembling,  almost 
sobbing  with  joy,  the  two  friends  clung  to  one  another 
in  a  fervent  embrace. 

'Luce!'  whispered  the  Grizzly,  the  words  falling 
in  broken  syllables  from  his  lips.  '  What  ye  doin' 
hyar?     I  thought  ye  would  be  safe  and  fur  away.' 

'  I  didn't  know  what  had  become  of  you,'  whispered 
Lucius  back;   'but  I  imagined  that  if  you  had  got 


248  ANY    PORT    IN    A    STORM. 

away  you  would  make  for  the  cabin.  It  seemed  the 
most  likely  place.     Oh,  I  'm  so  glad  !     I  'm  so  glad  ! ' 

'  I  'm  glad  too  ;  but  I  'm  sorry  ez  well,  fer  I  thought 
ye  would  be  well  within  our  lines.     Ugh  !     Ah  !' 

'What  is  the  matter?'  asked  Lucius  in  alarm,  as 
at  another  friendly  hug  Ephraim  uttered  a  low  cry 
of  pain. 

'  It 's  nuthin',  bub.  On'y  I  got  it  in  the  shoulder, 
and  ye  gripped  me  thar.  Come  into  the  cabin.  We  '11 
be  safer  thet  way.' 

'  What !  Are  you  wounded  V  inquired  Lucius 
anxiously,  as  he  followed  Ephraim  in  through  the 
window. 

'  Jest  a  scrape  on  the  shoulder.  Never  mind  it. 
Tell  me  what  happened  after  ye  left  me.  I  reckon 
ye  ran  back  the  way  ye  had  come.  I  heard  ye 
shoutin'.' 

'  No,  I  didn't,'  answered  Lucius.  '  At  least,  only  for 
a  few  steps,  and  then  I  made  a  break  clean  away. 
And  I  got  through,'  he  added  proudly. 

'Through  the  ring  thet  was  round  ye?'  queried 
Ephraim,  not  understanding. 

'  No,'  replied  Lucius ;  '  through  their  lines  and  into 
ours.' 

'  What !     Ye — got — through — inter — our — lines  ?' 

'  Yes ;  and  gave  the  despatch  to  General  Jackson.' 

'  The  despatch  ?  Ginrul  Jackson  ?  Luce,  what  air 
ye  say  in'  ?' 

'I  am  telling  you  just  what  happened,'  answered 
Lucius.  '  Didn't  you  miss  it  ?  The  despatch,  I  mean. 
I  found  it  in  my  pouch.  We  must  have  changed  belts 
without  knowing  it  in  the  darkness  of  the  cave.' 

'  Ye  found  the  despatch,  and  ye  got  inter  our  lines, 


ANY    PORT    IN    A    STORM.  249 

and  ye  gave  it  ter  old  Stonewall,  I  onderstand  ye 
ter  say  ! '  said  Ephraim,  still  bewildered. 

'I  did,  all  three.'  He  laughed  a  low  laugh  of 
satisfaction. 

'Then  why  in  thunder  didn't  ye  stay  thar  ?' 

'  Grizzly  !  Did  you  suppose  that  after  all  you  have 
risked  for  me  I  would  run  away  and  leave  you  without 
trying  to  find  out  what  had  become  of  you  ?  I  had 
such  a  time  with  the  General.  He  didn't  know  me, 
not  a  little  bit,  and  he  wouldn't  hear  of  my  coming 
back.  But  he  was  so  kind,  and  when  he  saw  how 
anxious  I  was  about  you,  he  actually  came  with  me 
himself  as  far  as  the  outposts  to  find  out  if  any  one 

had  seen  you  come  in  wdiere  I  did.     And  then' 

He  paused  and  gave  another  little  laugh. 

'And  then?'  queried  Ephraim,  who  had  listened 
to  the  recital  in  absolute  silence. 

'  Then  I  gave  him  the  slip  and  bolted  for  the  Federal 
lines.  Some  one  gave  the  order  to  fire ;  but  the 
General — I  had  told  him  who  I  was  by  that  time — 
called  out  "  Order — arms  !"  and  I  got  clean  away.' 

'And  how  did  ye  git  ez  fur  ez  this  ?' 

'I  sneaked  through  somehow.  No  one  saw  me. 
I  heard  a  shot ;  but  it  was  not  fired  at  me,  and  I 
made  for  this  cabin  as  fast  as  I  could ;  for  I  thought 
you  would  be  here  if  anywhere.' 

The  Grizzly  bent  forward  with  his  head  upon  his 
arms  and  groaned  aloud. 

'What  is  it?'  asked  Lucius  sympathetically.  'Does 
your  w^ound  hurt  you  ?' 

'  Wound  ! '  moaned  Ephraim.  '  D'  ye  s'pose  I  'm 
thinkin'  about  thet  et  sech  a  time  ez  this  ?  No,  Luce, 
it 's  you.     That  ye  should  git  off  safe  and  all,  and  then 


250  ANY    PORT   IN    A   STORM. 

start  out  to  come  back  fer  me.  Oh,  bub,  why  did 
ye  do  it  ?     Why  did  ye  do  it  ?' 

'  Why  shouldn't  I  ?' 

'And  ye  don't  seem  ter  know  thet  ye've  done  any- 
thin'  out  cr  the  way,'  said  Ephraim  in  a  wondering 
tone. 

'  Grizzly,  old  stick,  wouldn't  you  have  done  as  much 
for  me  ? ' 

'  Thet 's  diti'erent.  I  brought  ye  out,  and  it  war  my 
duty  ter  git  ye  home  agen  ef  it  war  anyways  pos- 
sible. Ye  got  yerself  the  best  part  er  the  way — inter 
our  lines,  thet  is — and  now  ye  Ve  been  and  run  yer 
head  inter  the  hornet's  nest  agen.  And  all  fer  me — all 
fer  me.  Luce,  ye  didn't  orter  hev  done  it.  I  warn't 
wuth  it,  Luce.'  He  sprang  to  his  feet  and  groped  in 
the  darkness  for  his  friend.  '  I  '11  never  fergit  what 
ye've  done  fer  me  this  day.  Never  ez  long  ez  I  live.' 
His  voice  faltered,  and  he  wrung  the  younger  boy's 
hand  in  silence. 

'  Shucks  ! '  exclaimed  Lucius.  '  It 's  nothing  to  talk 
about,  and  here  I  am  now.  It  doesn't  come  up  by  a 
long  measure  to  what  you  've  done  for  me  from  the 
time  you  broke  into  the  pile  till  now.  Besides, 
wdiat's  the  use  of  being  a  friend  if  you  don't  act 
friendly  ? ' 

'  Hear  him  ! '  muttered  Ephraim  feebly.  '  It 's  all  very 
well.  Luce.  But  I  can't  fergit  it,  and  I  'm  not  goin'  ter 
hev  ye  makin'  light  er  it.' 

'  Well,  here  I  am  now,'  said  Lucius ;  '  and  you  are 
safe,  I  am  thankful  to  say.  Tell  me  what  has  hap- 
pened to  you  since  last  I  saw  you.  I  tell  you, 
while  that  fight  was  going  on  at  the  end  of  the 
ditch,  I  didn't  know  wdiat  to  do,  I  was  so  frightened. 


ANY    PORT    IN    A    STOKM.  251 

I  thought  at  tirst  that  the  miserable  Yank  had  got 
you  down.' 

'  Don't  ye  talk  so  airy  er  the  miserable  Yanks,'  said 
Ephraim  emphatically.  '  I  've  had  more  kindness  ter- 
night  from  one  or  two  of  'em  than  I  kin  well  begin  ter 
say.  Ef  it  warn't  fer  a  miserable  Yank,  I  wouldn't  be 
hyar  jest  now.'  And  taking  up  his  story,  he  poured 
into  Luce's  astonished  ear  a  graphic  account  of  his 
adventures  since  his  arrest. 

'  Well,'  commented  Lucius  when  the  tale  was  finished, 
'  you  have  had  a  time  of  it,  and  no  mistake.  I  hope 
Jake  Summers  got  back  before  it  was  found  out 
that  you  were  missed.  He  must  be  a  good  man.  You 
see  now  what  it  is  to  be  a  kind  old  Grizzly,  and  go 
around  making  little  folks  feel  happy.  I  remember 
little  Toots.     And  so  he 's  dead  ? ' 

'  Yes,'  answered  Ephraim,  '  and  pore  Jake  took  on 
orful  when  he  war  tellin'  me  about  him.  Yes,  I  do 
hope  it  will  go  well  with  Jake.' 

*  I  believe  they  won't  be  likely  to  pry  into  that  tent 
before  dawn,'  said  Lucius.  '  There  's  no  reason  why 
they  should.  They  want  light  to  hang  a  man,  I 
should  say.' 

'  It  don't  f oiler,'  replied  Ephraim  drily.  '  But  thar  '11 
be  light  enuff  soon,'  he  added,  moving  to  the  door  and 
looking  out ;  '  fer  the  sky  is  beginnin'  ter  brighten. 
It's  time  fer  us  ter  quit  this  establishment.' 

'  Why  shouldn't  we  stay  here  ? '  demurred  Lucius. 
*  I  should  think  it  would  be  as  safe  a  place  as  any.' 

*  Not  when  the  day  dawns,'  answered  Ephraim. 
'  Ye  don't  s'pose  that  when  they  begin  ter  hunt  fer  me 
that  they  're  not  likely  ter  give  a  look  in  hyar  ez  they 
pass  by.' 


252  ANY   PORT    IN    A   STORM. 

*  I  imagine  that  they  will  have  enough  to  think 
about  without  losing  time  on  your  trail/  said  Lucius. 
'  I  saw  certain  signs  as  I  came  through  our  camp  with 
the  General  that  something  was  about  to  happen.' 

'  Maybe,'  returned  Ephraim  quaintly  ;  '  but  ef  they 
lay  hold  er  me  before  thet  suthin'  happens,  I  wouldn't 
be  able  ter  take  so  much  interest  in  it  ez  otherwise. 
No  ;  we  musn't  stop  hyar.' 

'  Where  shall  we  hide,  then  ? '  asked  Lucius.  '  I 
tell  you  I  've  had  enough  of  trying  to  break  through 
lines.' 

*  I  agree  with  ye  thar/  assented  Ephraim.  '  Thar 
must  be  no  more  er  that  sort  er  fun.  We  must  make 
a  push  across  the  woods  and  try  and  reach  the  moun- 
tain. We  kin  hide  thar  well  enuff,  or  make  our  way 
along  it,  whichever  seems  most  reasonable.' 

'  We  shall  only  lose  ourselves  in  the  wood  again,' 
protested  Lucius.     '  What  is  the  good  of  that  ?' 

'  Even  so,  we  '11  hev  a  better  chance  ter  dodge  out  er 
sight  among  the  trees,'  argued  Ephraim.  '  Honestly, 
I  think  it  ain't  safe  ter  stay  hyar.' 

'  Well,  go  ahead,'  said  Lucius.  '  I  am  with  you  what- 
ever you  do.     You  've  got  the  longest  head.' 

'I  couldn't  manage  ter  git  the  despatch  through,  fer 
all  my  long  head,'  exclaimed  Ephraim  admiringly. — 
'  Come  along,  then.' 

They  slipped  through  the  window,  and  entered  the 
wood  in  Indian  file,  Lucius  holding  on  to  the  skirt  of 
Ephraim's  tunic,  lest  by  any  chance  they  should  get 
separated  in  the  intense  darkness,  for  though  the  dawn 
was  beginning  to  break,  it  would  be  some  time  yet 
before  the  light  would  be  powerful  enough  to  illu- 
minate the  recesses  of  the  forest. 


ANY   PORT   IN   A   STORM.  253 

As  the  stars  paled  in  the  sky  before  the  approach 
of  morning,  two  things  happened,  both  fraught  with 
importance  to  our  fugitives,  though  they  plunged 
along,  steering  blindly  through  the  wood,  trusting  to 
Providence  to  guide  them  aright,  and  ignorant  mean- 
while of  the  turn  of  events.  First,  Stonewall  Jack- 
son's infantry  began  to  move  across  the  foot-bridge 
which  he  had  thrown  over  the  South  Fork  ;  and, 
secondly,  Colonel  Spriggs,  tired  of  the  ineffectual  pur- 
suit, and  resting  his  wearied  men  under  the  mountain 
not  far  from  the  Confederate  lines,  sullenly  turned 
his  angry  face  once  more  in  the  direction  of  his  own 
camp.  Not  that  he  intended  to  reach  it  just  yet.  His 
plan — a  very  simple  one — was  to  lose  himself  in  the 
wood  until  the  growing  day  should  have  revealed  to 
him  what  the  enemy  were  about.  If  a  battle  should 
begin,  he  would  thus  be  able  to  keep  clear  of  it ; 
while,  if  otherwise,  he  could  fall  back  upon  the  camp 
quietly  and  at  his  leisure.  But  Colonel  Spriggs  had 
reckoned  without  General  Jackson,  whose  plans 
included  the  advance  of  Brigadier-general  Taylor's 
Louisiana  troops  through  the  woods  by  the  side  of  the 
mountain,  and  it  was  therefore  not  improbable  that 
Colonel  Spriggs  would  find  himself  in  a  very  warm 
corner  for  once  in  his  life  before  the  day  was  much 
older. 

Of  all  these  facts  and  probabilities,  however,  the 
boys  knew  nothing  as  they  held  steadily  on  through 
the  pathless  woods,  hoping  and  trusting  that  their  luck 
would  lead  them  out  upon  the  mountain-side,  and  at 
the  same  time  keeping  a  wary  eye  for  possible  sur- 
prises or  openings  in  the  forest  where  an  enemy  might 
lurk. 


254  ANY   PORT   IN   A    STORM. 

The  light  grew  stronger  and  the  woods  brighter,  and 
suddenly  they  came  upon  just  such  a  place,  a  natural 
clearing,  where  the  trees  grew  thinly  and  the  ground 
was  covered  with  logs  and  underbrush.  To  walk 
across  this  did  not  seem  the  right  thing  to  do  ;  but  to 
their  joy  they  saw  the  mountain  looming  in  front  of 
them,  and  knew  that  at  least  their  faces  were  in  the 
right  direction. 

'It'll  not  do  tor  cross  over  thar,  Luce,'  said 
Ephraim  in  a  low  voice.  '  We  must  skirt  it.  Sh  !  I 
hear  a  sound.  Down  ter  the  ground !  Thar  's  some 
one  comin'  up.' 

The  wood,  indeed,  at  that  part  was  full  of  soldiers. 
The  Louisiana  men  were  well  forward,  but  unfortu- 
nately the  boys  had  no  suspicion  that  their  own  men 
were  so  close  at  hand,  and  only  reckoned  that  they  had 
to  deal  with  their  enemies,  the  Federals,  who  now 
appeared  to  be  surrounding  them.  Far  away,  but 
rapidly  drawing  nearer,  they  could  hear  the  tramp  of 
stealthy  footsteps,  and  now  and  again  the  low  hum  of 
subdued  voices.  Nearer  and  nearer  came  the  terrifying 
sounds,  and  lower  and  lower  they  crouched,  scarcely 
daring  to  breathe. 

'It's  no  use  trying  to  skirt  it,  Luce,'  whispered 
Ephraim,  his  mouth  close  to  the  boy's  ear.  'They 
seem  ter  be  all  about  us.  They  '11  crowd  us  out  before 
we  know.  We  must  make  a  dash  across  the  open 
before  they  git  up,  and  try  and  reach  thet  other  belt 
er  wood.     We  '11  be  safer  thar.' 

'  There  may  be  more  on  the  other  side,'  answered 
Lucius. 

'  I  know.  We  can't  help  thet.  We  've  got  ter  make 
a  break  fer  freedom,  and  chance  the  rest.' 


ANY   PORT   IN   A   STORM.  255 

They  crawled  to  the  edge  of  the  clearing,  and  after 
one  moment  of  anxious  listening,  rose  to  their  feet  and 
stole  swiftly  into  the  open. 

But  no  sooner  had  they  broken  cover  than  Ephraim, 
who  was  leading,  pulled  up  short,  and  with  a  sharp 
exclamation  of  surprise  dashed  back  again. 

'What  is  if?'  cried  Lucius,  following  his  friend's 
example. 

'Look!  look!'  whispered  Ephraim  excitedlj^  'Look 
over  thar  up  in  the  left  angle  er  the  clearing.' 

'Where?'  asked  Lucius,  peering  out.  'Oh!'  as  his 
eyes  encountered  an  all  too  familiar  object.  '  That 
horrible  balloon.' 

'  Bullee  ! '  exclaimed  Ephraim  excitedlj^  '  This  is 
whar  we  came  down  yesterday,  and  thar  's  old  Blue 
Bag  ready  and  willin'  ter  carry  us  out  er  this  pesky 
difficulty.     Bullee !' 

However  willing  Blue  Bag  might  be,  it  was  a 
question  whether  she  would  be  able  to  aid  her  enthusi- 
astic inventor,  for  what  between  her  travels  and  the 
time  which  had  elapsed  since  she  had  been  hauled 
down  and  fastened  to  the  log,  a  considerable  quantity 
of  gas  had  leaked  out  of  her,  not  to  speak  of  that 
which  Ephraim  had  deliberately  set  free  in  order  to 
bring  about  the  descent.  Still,  she  floated  with  a 
certain  amount  of  buoyancy,  and  Ephraim  believed  and 
hoped  that  when  lightened  of  every  remaining  scrap 
of  ballast,  she  would  be  capable  of  rising  to  a  certain 
height,  and  of  floating  them  out  of  the  dangerous 
proximity  of  the  contending  forces. 

'She  wobbles  a  bit,' said  Ephraim,  eyeing  the  balloon 
critically  ;  '  but  I  reckon  she  's  good  enuflf  yit  ter  take 
us  past  the  Yanks,  and  thet  's  all  we  want.  It  don't 
matter   whether   we    come   down   in    Staunton    or  in 


256  ANY    PORT    IN   A   STORM. 

Winchester,  s'  long  ez  we  git  cl'ar  er  Lewiston.  Come 
on,  Luce.  Tliar  couldn't  be  a  better  way  than  this. 
We  've  all  the  luck  this  mornin'.' 

He  had  forgotten  Luce's  little  peculiarity  in  the 
matter  of  balloons,  and  with  another  joyous  '  Come 
on  ! '  darted  again  into  the  open.  The  next  instant, 
finding  himself  alone,  he  stopped  and  looked  back. 

Lucius,  deadly  pale,  with  a  queer  strained  look  in 
his  eyes,  his  knees  knocking  together,  and  his  body 
swaying  from  side  to  side,  was  standing  where 
Ephraim  had  left  him,  apparently  unable  to  proceed. 

'  What  has  struck  ye,  Luce  ? '  asked  Ephraim 
anxiously.     '  Why  don't  ye  come  ? ' 

'  I  can't,'  gasped  Lucius.  '  I  daren't.  It  makes  me 
sick  to  think  of  it.     I  'd  rather  die.' 

'  Waal,'  returned  Ephraim,  hugely  disappointed,  '  ef 
ye  can't,  ye  can't.  I  'd  fergotten  how  ye  felt  about  it. 
No  matter,  we  '11  make  fer  the  woods  on  the  other  side. 
— Ah,  by  time  ! ' 

He  rushed  back  to  Lucius  and  seized  him  by  the 
hand.  *  Thar 's  no  help  fer  it.  Luce,'  he  cried.  '  Ye 
must  come  onless  ye  reely  want  ter  die.  I  kin  see  the 
gleam  er  bay 'nets  through  the  trees  on  the  other  side. 
We  shall  be  headed  off.     Thar  's  no  other  way.' 

He  dragged  Lucius  forward  with  all  his  might  ;  but 
the  boy  hung  back,  sliding  his  feet  over  the  ground 
like  a  jibbing  pony. 

So  they  went  until  rather  more  than  half  the  dis- 
tance had  been  covered,  and  then  all  at  once  a  loud 
shout  was  raised  behind  them,  and  Ephraim,  looking 
hastily  round,  uttered  a  groan  of  despair. 

Out  from  the  coverts  at  the  far  end  of  the  clearing 
rushed  Colonel  Spriggs,  his  face  aflame  with  excite- 
ment, and  waving  his  sword  as  he  drew  near. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 


OLD  GRIZZLY  S   SACRIFICE. 

S  Epliraim  saw  their  terrible  enemy  running 
towards  them,  followed  by  a  number  of 
soldiers,  his  heart,  stout  as  it  was,  sank 
within  him ;  for  Lucius,  in  the  spasm  of 
unreasonino-  terror  which  the  mere  sio'ht  of  the 
balloon  had  induced  in  him,  hung  back,  a  dead- 
weight, and  refused  to  move  in  response  to  either 
force  or  persuasion.  It  is  said  that  a  person  in  the 
grip  of  severe  sea-sickness  would,  if  informed  that 
the  ship  was  about  to  sink  under  him,  calmly  accept 
the  fact,  and  welcome  the  change  as  a  blessed  relief 
from  present  suffering.  If  this  be  true,  then  Lucius 
was  in  very  much  the  same  state  of  mind.  The 
recollection  of  his  balloon  experiences  filled  him  with 
a  hideous,  incapacitating  fear.  To  ascend,  he  believed, 
meant  death.  Death  was  behind  him  in  another  shape, 
but  compared  with  the  former  it  seemed  absolutel}'- 
enchanting.  These  were  his  thoughts,  if  he  thought 
at  all,  and  in  answer  to  Ephraim's  wild  entreaty  that 
he  would  hurry  on,  he  did  but  hang  back  the  more, 
while  he  muttered  huskily  words  which  fell  in  broken, 
meaningless  syllables  from  his  pale  and  trembling  lips. 

Q 


258  OLD  grizzly's  sacrifice. 

While  this  struggle  was  going  on,  the  colonel  and 
his  men  drew  nearer  and  nearer.  Spriggs  had  not 
recognised  the  boys  at  first,  but  observing  from  his 
place  of  concealment  two  Federal  soldiers,  as  he  sup- 
posed, entering  the  open,  had  fixed  his  attention  some- 
what idly  upon  them.  It  was  not  until  the  argument 
began,  and  he  got  a  good,  though  distant,  look  at 
Ephraim's  hairy  face,  that  it  was  borne  in  upon  him 
who  these  seeming  Federals  really  were.  A  fierce 
joy  filled  his  cruel  heart.  He  should  not  have  to 
return  to  camp  empty-handed  after  all.  '  Don't  fire !' 
he  ordered  his  men.  '  '  Run  them  down  and  take  them 
alive.' 

Relaxing  for  a  moment  his  eflforts  to  drag  Lucius 
to  the  balloon,  Ephraim  cast  a  glance  over  his  shoulder. 
The  colonel  and  his  men  were  still  a  couple  of  hundred 
yards  away,  but  coming  on  at  top  speed.  Thirty  paces 
ahead  was  the  balloon — a  veritable  city  of  refuge. 
One  vigorous  spurt,  and  they  could  reach  it  and  be 
safe.  Life  was  very  sweet,  and  Ephraim  could  save 
his — if  he  went  on  alone. 

But  that  was  not  the  Grizzly's  way.  No  such 
coward  thought  even  entered  his  brain.  Stooping 
down  in  front  of  Lucius,  he  drew  the  boy's  arms 
around  his  neck,  humped  him  on  to  his  back  like  a 
sack  of  potatoes,  and  staggering  to  his  feet  again, 
stumbled  forward,  his  body  bent  almost  double  under 
the  heavy  weight  and  the  effort  to  preserve  the  equili- 
brium of  his  well-nigh  senseless  burden. 

'Throttle  me  round  the  neck,  Luce,'  he  cried  wildly. 
'  Twine  yer  legs  around  me.  Don't  give  in,  sonny ! 
Keep  up  yer  sperrits,  and  I  '11  git  ye  thar !' 

Scarcely  conscious  of  what   he  was  doing,  Lucius 


OLD  grizzly's  sacrifice.  259 

obeyed,  and  Ephraira,  straightening  up  under  this 
better  distribution  of  weight,  rushed  madly  on  with 
long,  swinging  strides. 

On  came  the  colonel.  Another  hundred  yards  and 
they  were  lost;  but  gasping  and  groaning,  Ephraim 
had  reached  the  car,  and  with  scant  ceremony  tumbled 
Lucius  into  its  friendly  shelter. 

His  eyes  were  bulging  out  of  his  head,  and  the 
sweat  poured  in  big  drops  from  off  his  face.  His 
shoulder,  too,  was  paining  him  terribly,  and  the 
tremendous  exertion  had  caused  the  bandages  to  slip, 
and  set  the  blood  flowing  again.  But  his  nerves  were 
steady  and  his  wits  clear,  and  he  ran  swiftly  from 
side  to  side  of  the  car,  deftly  unloosing  the  knots  in 
the  ropes  that  detained  it. 

Ping !  ping .'  Two  balls  from  the  colonel's  revolver 
sang  through  the  cordage,  and  passed  clean  through 
the  balloon ;  but  with  a  yell  of  triumph  Ephraim 
scrambled  into  the  car,  and  having  cast  off  the  loosened 
ropes,  began  madly  to  fling  out  the  bags  of  ballast. 

Out  went  the  sand-bags,  one  after  the  other,  till  but 
one  remained,  and  then,  as  if  in  response  to  Ephraim's 
frantic  invocations,  old  Blue  Bag  put  forth  all  her 
remaining  strength,  and  though  she  rose  but  slowly, 
yet  after  all  she  rose.  Ephraim  was  wild  with  delight. 
He  shouted  and  sang,  without  knowing  in  the  least 
what  he  was  doing,  and  regardless  of  the  bullets, 
shook  his  fist  at  Spriggs  as  he  came  panting  along. 
Then  there  was  a  slight  jerk,  and  the  shouts  died 
away  upon  the  Grizzly's  lips,  as  the  balloon  stood  still. 
The  grapnel,  which  Ephraim  in  his  eager  haste  had 
only  torn  from  its  hold  and  flung  to  one  side,  had 
dragged  again  under  the  log,  and  now  held  fast. 


260  OLD  grizzly's  sacrifice. 

Ephraim  sprang  at  the  rope  where  it  was  attached 
to  the  car,  and  tore  at  the  fastening ;  but  the  knot 
was  stiff  and  badly  tied,  and  in  spite  of  all  his  efforts, 
it  refused  to  come  undone. 

Colonel  Spriggs  took  in  the  situation  at  a  glance. 
'Ha!  ha!'  he  laughed  savagely;  'I've  got  you  this 
time.  You  don't  escape  me  again. — Hurry  up  there  !' 
he  called  to  his  men.  '  A  dozen  of  you  haul  down 
this  confounded  balloon.  The  rest  stand  ready,  and 
if  the  rope  gives,  fire  a  volley  through  the  car.' 

A  rush  was  made  towards  the  balloon,  in  which  a 
number  of  men,  who  had  suddenly  issued  from  the 
woods  under  the  command  of  a  young  captain,  took 
part.  The  remainder  of  the  colonel's  forces  halted, 
and  a  row  of  deadly,  gleaming  tubes  was  instantly 
levelled  at  the  car,  where  Ephraim,  lost  to  all  sense 
of  personal  danger  in  his  anxiety  to  save  Lucius, 
tugged  and  strained  at  the  knot  till  his  nails  were 
split,  and  blood  oozed  from  the  points  of  his  fingers. 
In  vain :  it  would  not  yield. 

'  Never  mind,'  said  a  voice  beside  him.  '  We  are  as 
good  as  dead,  anyway.  Better  face  them  and  have 
done  with  it.' 

Ephraim  looked  round,  bewildered.  Lucius  was 
standing  by  his  side,  pale,  certainly,  but  with  a  look 
rather  of  relief  than  otherwise  upon  his  face. 

'By  time!'  cried  the  Grizzly,  losing  patience  for 
once.  'I  can't  onderstand  ye,  Luce.  One  moment 
ye  're  as  limp  ez  a  lump  er  jelly,  and  the  next  ye  're 
ez  stiff  ez  the  rammer  er  a  gun.  Oh,  ef  I  'd  on'y  kept 
Jake  Summers's  knife !' 

'  Haul  them  down  I '  shouted  the  colonel,  grinning 
like  an  ugly  imp. 


OLD  grizzly's  sacrifice.  261 

He  was  standing  immediately  underneath  the  car, 
looking  up  at  the  boys.  A  wild  storm  of  rage  shook 
Ephraim  from  head  to  foot,  and  desisting  from  his 
useless  struggle  with  the  knot,  he  stooped  to  the  bottom 
of  the  car,  and  raising  the  one  heavy  bag  of  ballast 
that  remained,  sent  it  with  unerring  aim  full  down 
upon  his  mocking  enemy. 

The  sand-bag  struck  the  colonel  between  the  neck 
and  shoulder,  and  felled  him  like  a  log;  but  as  he 
measured  his  length  upon  the  ground,  the  car  sank  to 
earth ;  strong  hands  seized  and  held  it  fast,  and  the 
young  captain,  who  had  been  looking  on  in  bewilder- 
ment at  the  singular  scene,  stepped  forward,  and 
parting  the  ropes,  ordered  the  boys,  not  unkindly,  to 
get  out. 

'Whatever  does  this  mean?'  he  began.     'Are  you 

Federal  soldiers,  or ' But  Colonel  Spriggs,  rising 

from  the  ground,  advanced  with  a  face  that  was 
absolutely  contorted  with  rage. 

'Hold  your  tongue,  sir!'  he  shouted  rudely  to  the 
captain.  '  I  don't  know  who  you  are,  nor  what  you 
want  here. — As  for  you,  you  scoundrel,'  he  foamed  at 
Ephraim.  '  You  filthy  rebel,  you ;  I  '11  teach  you ! 
You  've  played  your  last  prank.'  Then,  maddened  by 
the  quiet  smile  upon  the  Grizzly's  face,  he  raised  his 
arm  and  thrust  his  fist,  guarded  by  the  heavy  hilt  of 
his  sword,  violently  in  the  lad's  mouth. 

'  Take  that,  you  dog,'  he  cried.  '  What  do  you 
mean  by  grinning  at  me  ?' 

Lucius  uttered  a  cry  of  rage,  and  struggled  violently 
with  the  men  who  held  him  on  either  side ;  but 
Ephraim,  spitting  out  a  mouthful  of  blood,  coolly 
replied :  '  'Twould  hev  made  a  cat  laugh  ter  see  ye 


262  OLD  grizzly's  sacrifice. 

sprawlin'  thar.  I  on'y  wish  it  had  broken  yer  neck, 
ye  or'nery  skunk.' 

'  Colonel !'  exclaimed  the  young  captain,  stepping  to 
the  front.  Then,  seeing  that  his  superior  was  tem- 
porarily out  of  his  senses  with  wrath,  and  fearful  of 
some  dire  catastrophe,  he  turned  sharply  upon  the 
crowd  of  soldiers,  and  ordered  them  to  fall  in. 

The  men,  drilled  to  prompt  obedience,  obeyed  at 
once ;  even  those  wdio  w^ere  holding  the  balloon  loosing 
their  grasp  and  joining  their  comrades,  the  colonel's 
men  in  one  group,  the  captain's  in  another.  Instantly 
the  balloon  rose  in  the  air,  and  the  grapnel  having 
been  freed  in  the  commotion,  soared  higher  and  higher, 
till  at  last,  caught  by  a  current  of  wnnd,  it  floated  over 
the  tree  tops  towards  the  south.  An  hour  later  it 
astonished  Jackson's  rearguard  by  descending  suddenly 
among  them,  a  collapsed  and  miserable  wreck. 

The  colonel  was  striding  up  and  down,  muttering 
furiously  to  himself.  Now,  wdien  he  looked  up  and  saw 
the  balloon  drifting  away,  his  wrath  broke  out  afresh. 

'  What  did  you  let  that  balloon  away  for,  you 
fools?'  he  shouted.  'Now  w-e  have  no  ropes  to  hang 
these  dogs  with.  What  did  you  do  it  for  ?'  He  glared 
at  the  men,  who  naturally  made  no  reply. 

'It  w^as  by  a  mistake,  colonel,'  the  young  officer 
hastened  to  explain.  '  It  was  my  fault.  I  gave  the 
order  to  fall  in.' 

'  And  who  are  you,  sir,  to  give  your  orders  while 
I  am  on  the  ground  ?'  stormed  the  colonel. 

'  I  addressed  my  own  men,'  replied  the  officer  respect- 
fully ;  '  I  understand  that  I  command  my  own  com- 
pany. Your  men  heard  the  order,  and  obeyed  it  at 
the  same  time.     Hence  the  escape  of  the  balloon.' 


OLD  grizzly's  sacrifice.  263 

'Who  are  you,  sir?'  repeated  the  colonel.  'Who 
are  you  with  your  "I  command  my  own  company?" 
You  won't  command  it  much  longer  if  you  presume  to 
take  so  much  upon  yourself  in  the  presence  of  your 
superior  officer.  I  tell  you  I  won't  be  answered  back. 
I  believe  you  let  that  balloon  away  on  purpose.' 

The  captain  flushed  deeply.     'My  name  is  Peters, 

sir,'  he  answered, '  Captain  Peters  of  the Vermont. 

I  received  orders  to  make  a  detour  of  these  woods,  to 
feel  for  an  advance  of  the  enemy.  The  scene  which 
has  just  passed  has  considerably  surprised  me.  I  know 
nothing  of  these  people,  though,  from  the  presence  of 
the  balloon,  and  the  fact  that  they  are  wearing  Federal 
uniforms,  I  am  led  to  believe  that  they  are  those  of 
whom  all  the  camp  is  talking.  I  have  no  wish  to 
hinder  you  in  the  execution  of  your  duty.  If  you  con- 
ceive it  to  be  your  duty  to  arrest  these  fellows,  do 
so,  by  all  means.' 

'  I  conceive  it  to  be  my  duty,'  retorted  the  angry 
colonel,  '  to  let  you  know  that  you  are  too  free  with 
your  speech,  young  man.  You  don't  command  any- 
thing or  anybody  while  I  am  on  the  ground,  and  just 
you  remember  it.' 

Captain  Peters  reddened  again,  but  held  his  peace. 
He  was  a  volunteer  with  little  experience,  and  he 
really  did  not  know  whether  he  ought  to  be  at  the 
orders  of  a  stray  colonel,  just  because  he  was  a  colonel. 

'  We  've  got  a  friend  in  the  captain,'  whispered 
Ephraim  to  Lucius.  '  We  won't  come  to  harm  ef  he 
kin  git  the  whip  hand.'  But  this  it  did  not  seem  that 
Captain  Peters  was  likely  to  do. 

'  He  '11  kill  us  if  he  can,'  replied  Lucius.  '  Look  at 
his  face.' 


2G4  OLD  grizzly's  sacrifice. 

'  I  reckon,'  returned  Ephraim  simply.  '  The  old 
blunderbuss  is  mad.' 

The  colonel  resumed  his  march  up  and  down, 
probably  wrestling  with  himself ;  for  brute  though 
he  was,  what  manhood  there  was  left  in  him  could 
not  but  recoil  from  the  deed  he  contemplated.  For 
several  minutes  there  was  silence,  the  men  standing  at 
ease,  and  the  captain  meditatively  poking  holes  in  the 
ground  with  the  point  of  his  sword,  and  ever  and  anon 
casting  furtive  glances  at  the  two  prisoners. 

The  stillness  became  oppressive.  Only  the  colonel's 
hurried  footsteps  broke  it  irregularly,  and  the  sound 
jarred  so  much  upon  Ephraim's  tense  nerves  that  he 
felt  he  must  speak  at  whatever  cost. 

'  See  hyar,  cunnel,'  he  called  out.  '  It 's  cruel  ter 
keep  us  standing  hyar.  What  ye  goin'  ter  do  with 
us  ?  Remember  we  ain't  done  ye  any  harm,  'ceptin' 
thet  whack  I  ketched  ye  jest  now,  and  any  wan 
would  hev  done  ez  much,  makin'  a  break  fer  freedom. — 
Cunnel !' 

Captain  Peters  made  Ephraim  a  swift  sign  to  be 
silent ;  but  the  colonel,  after  one  prolonged  and  malevo- 
lent stare,  continued  his  march  as  though  he  had  not 
heard  a  word. 

'The  pesky  critter!'  muttered  Ephraim.  'Hold  up, 
Luce.  He  dassn't  do  nuthin',  and  he  knows  it  too, 
right  well.  Thet's  what's  makin'  him  so  mad.  He'd 
like  ter  chaw  us  up  inter  little  bits,  on'y  he  dassn't/ 

He  stopped  obedient  to  the  captain's  signals,  but  the 
next  moment  his  roving  eye  caught  the  gleam  of  gun- 
barrels  in  among  the  trees  in  the  section  of  wood  they 
had  left  when  they  ran  for  the  balloon,  and  here  and 
there  a  face  peeped  out  and  was  rapidly  withdrawn ; 


OLD  grizzly's  sacrifice.  265 

so  rapidly  that  the  Grizzly  rubbed  his  eyes  and  asked 
himself  whether  they  had  not  deceived  him.  '  It 
looked  like  'em,'  he  said  to  himself;  'but  it  can't  be. 
How  can  it  be  ?  Oh,  I  reckon  it 's  some  more  Yanks 
comin'  ter  see  the  fun.'  He  held  his  tongue,  however, 
and,  for  want  of  something  better  to  do,  took  a  piece  of 
string  from  his  pocket,  and  twisted  it  nervously  round 
and  round  his  fingers,  the  while  he  kept  his  eyes 
steadfastly  fixed  upon  the  forest  opposite.  But  if  he 
had  seen  anything,  there  was  nothing  to  be  seen  now. 
Suddenly  the  colonel  halted  in  his  walk,  turned,  and 
approached  them. 

'Now  it's  corain','  thought  Ephraim,  twirling  his 
string  more  rapidly  than  ever.  Lucius  stood  perfectly 
still  and  erect,  his  hands  locked  behind  his  back,  and 
his  eyes  staring  straight  in  front  of  him.  Whatever 
his  feelings,  they  did  not  appear  upon  the  surface. 

The  colonel's  swarthy  face  was  deeply  flushed,  his 
black,  deep-set  eyes  glittered  menacingly  under  their 
bushy,  overhanging  brows,  and  he  gnawed  persistently 
at  his  long  moustache.  It  was  evident  that  in  the 
struggle  which  had  been  going  on  in  his  mind,  the 
evil  had  conquered  the  good. 

Captain  Peters  drew  himself  up  as  the  colonel  neared 
him,  and  waited  silently  at  attention. 

'  Captain  Peters,'  began  Spriggs,  speaking  rapidly  in 
a  husky  voice,  whether  the  result  of  shame  or  of  his 
still  blazing  wrath  it  would  be  hard  to  say,  '  since  you 
seem  to  have  taken  a  more  proper  view  of  your  position, 
I  will  condescend  to  explain  matters  to  you.  You 
were  right  in  your  surmise  that  these  fellows  are 
those  who  arrived  yesterday  in  that  balloon  for  the 
purpose  of  making  observations  of  our  position.     They 


266  OLD  grizzly's  sacrifice. 

escaped,  as  you  have  doubtless  heard,  and  they  have 
been  retaken,  as  you  now  see. 

Captain  Peters  bowed. 

'  Well,  sir,'  went  on  the  colonel,  '  I  presume  you 
know  the  punishment  in  these  cases,  though  your 
experience  is  probably  not  very  great.' 

He  sneered  out  the  last  words,  and  still  Captain 
Peters  did  not  reply,  though  his  brown  face  became  a 
shade  paler. 

'  We  will  take  that  for  granted,  then,'  pursued  the 
colonel.  '  Very  well,  sir,  as,  owing  to  your  hasty 
assumption  of  the  command,  that  punishment  cannot 
be  carried  out  in  the  usual  manner,  you  will  take 
a  firing  party  fifty  yards  to  the  right,  set  these  two 
rascals  twenty  paces  in  front,  and — shoot  them.  The 
word  came  out  with  a  snap  as  though  the  demon  which 
possessed  the  man  had  forcibly  expelled  it. 

'  Colonel !'  ejaculated  the  astounded  Captain  Peters. 

'  Shoot  them  !     Why — why Has  the  charge  been 

proved  ?' 

'  Your  duty  is  to  obey,  sir,  not  to  ask  questions,'  said 
the  colonel  with  a  hang-dog  look.  'Call  your  men 
forward  at  once.' 

'  But,  colonel,'  protested  Captain  Peters,  '  I  beg  your 
pardon,  but  I  think  I  should  be  informed  why  I  am 
ordered  to  do  this.  You  have  your  own  men, 
and ' 

'  Obey  your  orders,  sir.  It  is  just  to  teach  you  that 
lesson,  and  for  nothing  else,'  thundered  the  colonel, 
now  more  violently  inflamed  than  ever,  because  of  the 
captain's  evident  reluctance.  '  Obey  your  orders,  and 
at  once,  or  I'll  have  you  disrated.  Do  you  know 
who  I  am,  sir  ?' 


OLD  grizzly's  sacrifice.  267 

But  Captain  Peters  held  his  ground  like  a  man,  and 
ventured  on  another  protest. 

'  One  of  them  is  a  mere  boy,  colonel,'  he  said. 

'  Boy  or  no  boy,'  returned  the  colonel  sullenly,  '  take 
him  out,  and  shoot  him  along  with  that  hairy-faced 
baboon  there.  He  knew  what  he  was  doing  when  he 
turned  spy,  I  '11  be  bound.' 

'  But  I  don't  see ' began  Captain  Peters. 

'  Never  mind  what  you  see,  or  what  you  don't  see, 
sir,'  vociferated  the  colonel.  '  I  tell  you  that  they  are 
a  couple  of  rascally  spies.  I  had  the  proof  of  it  in  my 
hand.' 

'  Thet  's  a  lie,'  interjected  Ephraim  most  injudiciously 
at  this  point.  '  We  came  down  here  because  we 
couldn't  help  it,  not  because  we  wanted  ter.  He 
didn't  find  any  proof.' 

Captain  Peters  looked  hesitatingly  at  the  colonel, 
who  hastened  to  say  :  '  From  the  pocket  of  that  fellow 
was  taken  a  paper  covered  with  details  of  our  move- 
ments.    That  of  itself  is  proof  enough.' 

'  Thet 's  another,'  cried  Ephraim.  '  Thar  warn't 
nuthin'  but  stale  news  on  thet  paper.  Don't  ye  listen 
ter  him,  captain.  Ye  take  the  resk.  We  han't  had 
any  trial.     He  dassn't  shoot  us  'thout'n  a  trial.' 

'Silence!'  commanded  the  colonel. — 'It  may  satisfy 
you,  Captain  Peters,  since  you  require  so  much  satisfy- 
ing, that  I  have  General  Shields's  express  orders  to 
deal  summarily  with  these  persons,  when  and  wherever 
I  might  find  them.  Now  will  you  do  your  duty  ?  I 
don't  choose  to  be  kept  waiting  here  all  the  morning.' 

This  was  decisive,  and  though  the  captain  turned  a 
sympathetic  eye  upon  the  prisoners,  he  had  no  furtlier 
objections   to   advance.     'Company!     Attention!'    he 


268  OLD  grizzly's  sacrifice. 

shouted ;  but  Lucius  broke  from  the  men  who  were 
standing  on  either  side  of  him,  and  rushed  forward. 

'Captain/  he  cried,  'that  man  is  a  liar.  Here  is 
General  Shields's  own  order.'  He  thrust  a  paper  into 
the  captain's  hand. 

'Bullee!'  chuckled  Ephraim.  'So  ye  got  thet,  too, 
Luce.     By  time  !  thet  11  upset  him.' 

Captain  Peters  took  the  paper  and  read  aloud : 
'"Colonel  Spriggs— If  you  come  up  with  the  two  men 
who  escaped  from  the  balloon  this  morning,  you  will 
detain  them  as  prisoners,  and  bring  them  before  me 
without  taking  further  action." — This  appears  to  be 
addressed  to  you,  colonel,'  he  finished,  looking  up. 

Spriggs  advanced  upon  him,  and  simply  tore  the 
paper  from  his  hand.  'You  impertinent  puppy,'  he 
raved,  '  if  it  is  addressed  to  me,  what  do  you  mean  by 
reading  it  ? '  He  glanced  over  the  paper  and  his 
countenance  changed,  but  he  recovered  himself.  '  You 
greenhorn,'  he  continued  bitterly,  '  did  it  never  occur 
to  you  to  ask  yourself  how  this  precious  document 
came  into  that  rascal's  hands  ?  Are  you  familiar  with 
General  Shields's  handwriting  ?' 

'  No,'  answered  the  captain  ;  '  but ' 

'  Well,  I  am,  sir,  and  I  declare  this  thing  to  be  an 
impudent  forgery.  Pah  !  You  call  yourself  a  soldier, 
and  allow  yourself  to  be  taken  in  by  such  a  trick.' 

'  It  is  not  a  forgery,'  cried  Lucius.  '  Certainly,  the 
general  did  not  know  that  we  were  the  escaped 
prisoners,  but  he  gave  my  chum  the  paper,  all  the 
same.     It 's  the  truth,  upon  my  honour.' 

Captain  Petere  looked  puzzled,  as  well  he  might. 
'  I  don't  understand  you/  he  began,  when  the  colonel 
at  a  white  heat  broke  in  a^ain. 


OLD   GRIZZLY  S   SACRIFICE. 

*  Captain  Peters/  he  roared,  '  do  your  duty.' 

Captain  Peters  hesitated  for  the  last  time.  He  was 
very  young,  very  sympathetic,  and  he  did  not  know 
his  position  with  regard  to  Colonel  Spriggs.  But 
he  did  know  what  would  be  the  consequences  to 
himself  of  disobedience  on  what  was  practically  the 
field  of  battle.  Finally  he  said  :  '  Colonel,  this  appears 
to  be  a  very  curious  and  unusual  case.  Would  it  not 
be  better,  if  I  may  say  so,  to  refer  it  back  to  the 
provost-marshal  ? ' 

For  an  instant  the  colonel  paused.  It  appeared  that 
one  chance  more  was  to  be  given  him.  Then  his  good 
angel  turned  away  and  left  him,  and  a  black  lie 
dropped  from  his  lips.  His  voice  became  dangerously 
calm.  '  I  do  not  know  that  I  am  bound  to  make 
explanations  to  you,  Captain  Peters,'  he  said ;  '  but  I 
have  done  so  out  of  consideration  for  your  extreme 
youth  and  inexperience.  It  may  be  enough  for  you  to 
know  that  I  carry  the  provost-marshal's  order,  counter- 
signed by  General  Shields,  and  dated  1  a.m.  to-day, 
to  hang  these  fellows  as  soon  as  possible  after  their 
capture,  should  I  succeed  in  taking  them  ;  and  that 
document,  sir,  is  not  bogus  like  the  one  you  have  just 
read.     Now,  for  the  last  time,  will  you  obey  orders  ?' 

Captain  Peters  wheeled  round  and  faced  his  men. 

'Company!'  he  cried.  'Attention!  You  will  remain 
drawn  up  in  line.  Your  orders  are  to  keep  a  sharp 
lookout  for  the  enemy.  You  will  take  no  part  in  this 
business,  if  you  are  men.  That  is  my  last  word  to  you 
as  your  captain.'  He  turned  about  and  faced  the 
infuriated  colonel  'No,  sir;  I  will  not  obey  your 
orders,'  he  said  with  flaming  cheeks.  '  Do  your 
murderous  work  yourself,  if  you  must  do  it.     I  am 


270  OLD  grizzly's  sacrifice. 

a  soldier,  not  an  executioner.  There  is  my  sword. 
I  am  prepared  to  take  the  consequences.' 

'Bullee!'  burst  from  Ephraim,  while  a  low  murmur 
of  approval  ran  down  the  line  of  Vermonters.  But  the 
colonel,  livid  with  rage,  said  as  he  almost  snatched  the 
sword  from  the  young  officer's  hand :  '  Very  good,  sir. 
Fall  back  !  I  shall  know  how  to  deal  with  you  when 
the  time  comes. — Sergeant  Plowes !'  A  low-browed, 
thick-set  fellow  stepped  forward  and  saluted.  '  Carry 
out  the  orders  which  Captain  Peters  has  refused  to 
execute,  and  be  sharp  about  it.' 

In  every  company  of  men  there  are  some  souls  of 
the  baser  sort,  ever  ready  to  curry  favour  with  those 
above  them.  The  colonel  had  made  a  careful  selection 
from  his  regiment,  when  he  set  out  to  hunt  the 
fugitives  down,  and  he  knew  that  there  was  no  fear 
of  his  orders  being  disobeyed,  whatever  their  character. 
Had  not  Captain  Peters  appeared  upon  the  scene  it 
would  have  been  all  over  with  Ephraim  and  Lucius 
long  ago,  but  the  presence  of  the  junior  officer  had 
inspired  Colonel  Spriggs  with  the  mean  idea  of  forcing 
some  one  to  share  the  responsibility  of  the  execution 
with  him.  Foiled  in  this,  he  fell  back  upon  the  men 
he  had  brought. 

The  sergeant  also  knew  his  men,  and  having  named 
six,  ordered  them  to  step  to  the  front.  They  did  so. 
The  remainder  of  the  company  stood  at  attention. 
Their  sympathies  were  with  the  prisoners,  but  the 
fear  of  the  provost-marshal  was  before  them,  and  as 
the  colonel  had  absented  himself  from  them  for  about 
an  hour  after  midnight,  they  could  not  know  that  he 
had  lied  in  saying  that  he  had  seen  that  dreaded 
functionary. 


OLD  grizzly's  sacrifice.  271 

'  Fall  in  between  the  second  and  third  file/  said  the 
sergeant  to  the  prisoners. 

Lucius  stepped  forward  and  took  his  place.  His 
head  was  held  proudly  up,  and  on  his  pale  lips  was  a 
set  smile.  His  hands  were  still  locked  behind  his 
back,  so  no  one  saw  how  convulsively  his  fingers  were 
twined  together. 

'  Now  then,  you,'  said  Plowes  roughly  to  Ephraim, 
catching  him  by  the  arm. 

But  the  Grizzly  broke  from  his  hold,  and  rushed  up 
to  the  colonel.  'Gunnel!'  he  cried,  in  heart-rending 
tones,  'stop  before  ye  do  this  bloody  deed.  I  ain't 
keerin'  what  ye  do  ter  me,  ez  I  told  ye  before.  But 
thet  boy  thar,  thet  Luce,  he  's  ez  innercent  ez  a  lamb. 
I  made  the  balloon  jest  fer  ter  pleasure  him,  and  he 
didn't  want  ter  come ;  but  I  fetched  him  along. 
He 's  done  nuthin'.  Gunnel,  ez  God  is  above  ye,  don't 
harm  him.'  His  voice  rose  to  a  shriek.  '  Gunnel ! 
cunnel !  Hold  yer  hand.  Don't  shoot  him.  He 's  his 
mother's  only  son.  He 's  my  friend,  and  I  love  him. 
And  I  've  brought  him  ter  his  death.'  He  covered  his 
face  with  his  hands  and  sobbed. 

'  Take  him  away,'  said  the  colonel  abruptly. 

*  Gunnel !'  screamed  Ephraim,  struggling  with  the 
sergeant.  'Spare  him!  Spare  him  !  Ef  ye  will,  I'll 
jine  yer  army  and  fight  against  my  own  side  till  I 
drop.  Ye '11  git  one  man  more  thet  way. — Oh,  what 
am  I  sayin'  ?  I  don't  want  ter  git  off  myself.  On'y 
let  him  go  !     On'y  let  him  go  !' 

'  For  shame,  Grizzlj^ !'  called  Lucius.  '  Don't  degrade 
yourself  by  talking  to  the  ruffian.' 

'Oh,  Luce,  Luce!'  wailed  Ephraim,  suffering  the 
sergeant  to  lead  him  away.     '  What  shall  I  do  ?     What 


272  OLD  grizzly's  sacrifice. 

shall  I  do  ?  I  brought  it  on  ye.  Oh,  fergive  me ! 
Fergive  me !' 

'Files  !  'Shun  !'  cried  Plowes,  shoving  Ephraim  into 
his  place.  '  Right  face !  Fifty  paces  to  the  front ! 
Quick — march !' 

The  melancholy  procession  started,  Lucius  still  hold- 
ing his  head  high,  and  Ephraim  crying  and  whining 
like  a  child  that  has  been  whipped. 

'  Don't  cry,  Grizzly,'  said  Lucius,  taking  him  by  the 
arm.  *  They  '11  think  you  're  a  funk.  I  know  better  ; 
but  don't  give  them  the  chance  to  say  so.  Don't  worry 
over  me.  It 's  not  your  fault.  I  ought  to  have  remem- 
bered what  my  General  said.  It 's  a  big  price  to  pay 
for  being  disobedient ;  but  it 's  my  fault,  not  yours. 
Oh,  don't  cry  so,  dear  old  Grizzly  !' 

Their  positions  were  curiously  reversed.  The  soft, 
young  southern  voice  was  calm  and  clear,  there  was 
no  shrinking  in  the  bright  blue  eyes,  and  the  quivering- 
coward  of  half  an  hour  before  now  marched  to  his 
death  with  a  step  as  steady  and  bearing  as  firm  as 
that  of  any  of  the  cavaliers  whose  blood  ran  in  his 
veins  ;  while  his  comrade,  all  his  steadfast  courage  gone, 
shuffled  along,  his  gaunt  frame  seeming  to  shrivel  in 
his  clothes  as  he  went,  and  his  queer,  old-looking  face 
drawn  with  the  agony  of  his  fear  and  self-reproach. 
Only  there  was  this  difference — Lucius  was  thinking 
of  himself,  and  that  nerved  him.  Ephraim  was  think- 
ing of  Lucius,  and  that  unmanned  him. 

'  Files  !  Halt !  Front !  Order — arms  !'  shouted  the 
sergeant,  and  the  men  stood  still. 

'Now  then,  you  two,'  said  Plowes,  'come  with  me.' 
His  rough  heart  was  touched  for  once  in  his  life  by 
what   he  had  just  heard,  and   he  muttered  as  they 


OLD  grizzly's  sacrifice.  273 

marched  along :  'I'll  make  it  thirty  paces,  and  ye  kin 
take  yer  chance.'  Such  a  favour !  And  having-  said 
thus  much,  he  placed  them  and  went  back  without 
another  word. 

Lucius  straightened  himself  up  and  once  more 
locked  his  fingers  behind  his  back.  '  Hold  up,  Grizzly  !' 
he  said.     '  Don't  let  them  think  that  you  're  afraid.' 

Ephraim  bent  his  lank  body  and  kissed  Lucius  on 
the  cheek. 

'  Good-bye,  Luce,'  he  said.  '  Maybe  God  '11  let  me 
meet  ye  by-and-by.' 

He  raised  his  head,  and  SAvift  as  lightning  a  change 
came  over  his  face,  and  a  flame  of  joy  sparkled  in  his 
eyes  as  he  stared  over  the  heads  of  the  firing  party 
at  the  woods  beyond  them. 

Plowes  had  reached  his  men.  ''Shun!'  he  called. 
'  At  thirty  paces — prepare  to  fire  a  volley  !     Ready  !' 

'  Ef  I  kin  on'y  gain  an  ounce  of  time,'  muttered  the 
Grizzly,  Avith  a  sob  in  his  throat. — 'Hold  on!'  he 
shouted  suddenlj^  'I  can't  abear  it.  Wait  till  I 
blind  our  eyes.' 

'  Blind  'em,  then,  and  be  quick  about  it,'  returned 
Plowes  sullenly ;  for  he  was  getting  heartily  sick  of 
the  job  he  had  taken  in  hand. 

'I'll  not  have  my  eyes  bound,'  declared  Lucius, 
pushing  Ephraim's  hand  away. 

'It's  the  last  thing  I'll  ever  ask  of  ye,'  stammered 
Ephraim,  scarcely  able  to  speak,  and  Lucius  submitted. 

'  Now  then,  sharp  with  your  own,'  called  Plowes. 

Ephraim  drew  out  his  handkerchief  and  fumbled 
with  it  in  his  hands,  but  all  the  time  he  scanned  the 
opposite  woods.  Then  the  light  died  out  of  his  eyes 
again,  for   save  for   the    waving    boughs    that   swept 

R 


274  OLD  grizzly's  sacrifice. 

gently  to  and  fro  in  the  morning  breeze,  there  was 
nothing  to  be  seen. 

'  Now  then,'  shouted  Plowes  ;  and  Lucius  muttered : 
'  Have  you  got  your  handkerchief  on  V 

'  Yes,  sonny,'  answered  Ephraim  soothingly,  as  he 
glanced  once  more  towards  the  woods.  '  Thar  they 
air,  the  boys  in  gray,'  he  murmured.  '  Why  don't  they 
come  out  ?  Am  I  dreaming  ?  It 's  too  late  !  too  late  ! 
One  of  us  must  go  under.  I  reckon  it  '11  hev  ter 
be  me.'  Then  dashing  the  handkerchief  to  the  ground 
beside  him,  he  placed  his  right  arm  round  Luce's 
shoulders  and  roared  at  the  top  of  his  voice :  '  Fire, 
boys!     Fire!' 

'  Ready ! '  called  Plowes,  astonished  at  this  mode 
of   address,  for  he  supposed   it   to  be  meant  for  liim. 

'  Present !' 

But  ere  the  fatal  word  could  cross  the  sergeants 
lips,  Ephraim  swung  suddenly  round  in  front  of  Lucius 
and  clasped  him  in  his  arms.  The  Grizzlj^'s  broad 
back  was  turned  to  the  platoon,  and  his  body  covered 
the  friend  he  loved  from  the  deadly  volley. 

But  it  never  came.  For  before  a  trigger  of  the 
six  rifles  could  be  drawn,  a  line  of  Hame  spurted 
from  the  opposite  woods,  and  a  frightful  roar  of 
musketry  swallowed  up  all  other  sounds.  Lucius 
felt  a  sharp  agony  of  pain  in  his  right  ankle,  and 
then,  with  a  dead,  heavy  weight  bearing  him  irre- 
sistibly backwards,  fell  fainting  to  the  ground  with 
the  wild  rebel  yell  ringing  in  his  ears. 

The  battle  of  Port  Republic  had  begun.  For  the 
second  time  Lucius  and  Ephraim  had  stood  up  to 
the  fire  of  their  own  men,  and  this  time  they  had 
ii'one  down. 


Fire,  boys  !     Fire  1' 


CHAPTER     XVII. 


AVHAT    CAME    OF    IT   ALL. 

'^^j/y-^HEN    we  found   him,  he   was   lying   com- 
^^^1^^   pletely  covered  by  the  body  of  the  elder 

/"  f^rk  ^°^''  ^^^^  ^^  ^^'®  ^^^^  ^°^  come  up  when 
we  did,  he  must  have  been  suffocated. 
The  sergeant  of  the  firing  party,  a  rough  brute,  who 
was  captured,  and  who  explained  the  matter  to 
us  and  pointed  out  the  boys,  said,  with  tears  in 
his  eyes,  that  he  had  never  seen  such  a  piece  of 
heroism.  Ephraim  had  evidently  caught  sight  of 
some  of  our  men  in  the  wood,  and  knew  that  in 
a  moment  or  two  the  fio-ht  must  begin.  At  the 
same  time  he  believed  that  the  movement  would  be 
too  late  to  stop  the  fire  of  the  platoon,  and  even  as 
the  word  was  upon  the  sergeant's  lips,  flung  himself 
in  front  of  Lucius,  deliberately  offering  his  own  life 
to  save  that  of  his  friend.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  all 
his  wounds  are  from  our  men  and  in  the  back ;  but 
for  all  that,  they  are  as  glorious  as  any  received  in 
front  by  our  brave  fellows  to-day.' 

' "  Greater  love  hath  no  man  than  this,  that  a 
man  lay  down  his  life  for  his  friend."  It  was 
splendid ! ' 


278  WHAT   CAME   OF   IT   ALL. 

The  full,  earnest  voice  stirred  a  faint  memory  in 
Luce's  dull  brain.  He  looked  wearily  up  into  the  kind 
face  bent  anxiously  over  him,  '  My  General ! '  he 
murmured,  and  closed  his  eyes  again. 

Stonewall  Jackson  laid  his  hand  caressingly  upon 
the  fair,  curly  head. 

'Poor  fellow!'  he  said.  'Will  he  pull  through, 
doctor,  do  you  think  ?' 

'  Oh  yes ;  I  trust  so,'  replied  the  surgeon.  '  His 
ankle  is  badly  shattered,  and  he  will  limp  for  the 
rest  of  his  days ;  but  I  think  we  shall  be  able  to 
save  the  foot.' 

'And  Ephraim  ?'  asked  the  General. 

'Ah!' 

The  mournful  sigh  smote  heavily  on  Luce's  ear. 
He  was  still  drowsy  and  .stupid  from  the  combined 
effect  of  shock  and  the  chloroform  which  had  been 
administered  to  him  before  the  ball  had  been  extracted 
from  his  leg ;  but  at  the  sound  of  that  dreary  mono- 
syllable his  senses  quickened,  he  opened  his  eyes  again, 
and  looked  vacantly  round. 

For  an  instant  the  unfamiliar  surroundings  of  the 
field  hospital  confused  him ;  but  in  a  flash  full  con- 
sciousness returned,  the  whole  of  the  terrible  scene  in 
which  he  had  lately  borne  a  part  rose  before  him,  and 
with  a  shriek  he  struggled  up  on  his  mattress,  support- 
ing himself  upon  his  hands. 

'Ephraim!  Ephraim!'  he  wailed.  'Where  are 
you  ?  You  are  not  dead.  You  can't  be  dead.  Oh, 
and  you  died  for  me  !' 

Then,  as  his  eyes  fell  upon  something  stretched 
beside  him,  very  calm  and  still,  he  writhed  round, 
regardless  of  the  pain  of  his  wound,  and  flung  himself 


WHAT   CAME   OF   IT   ALL.  279 

upon  the   quiet  form,  raining  tears  and    kisses  upon 
the  white,  pathetic  face. 

Was  it  a  dream  ?  The  pale  lips  parted  in  a  feeble 
smile,  and  a  weak  voice,  ahiiost  drowned  in  the  groans 
of  the  wounded  and  dying,  whispered  faintly :  '  Hold 
up.  Luce  !     Keep  up  yer  sperrits  !     I  '11  git  ye  thar  !' 

It  was  the  fall  of  1862,  and  the  tender  light 
of  the  exquisite  Indian  summer  lay  on  the  deep 
Virginian  woods  and  glorified  the  rolling  hills  of  the 
Blue  Ridge.  In  a  secluded  part  of  the  beautiful 
grounds  of  Markham  Hall,  a  tall,  thin  young  man, 
with  a  white,  wasted  face,  reclined  in  a  comfortable 
wheel-chair,  dreamily  enjoying  the  warm  sunshine, 
and  inhaling  the  fragrance  of  the  ripe,  red  apples 
that  hung  from  the  laden  boughs  in  the  orchard. 

Presently  a  fair-haired  boy  came  through  the  trees. 
In  one  hand  he  bore  a  bowl  of  broth,  and  with  the 
other  he  supported  himself  upon  a  stick  as  he  limped 
along. 

'  Hello,  Grizzly  ! '  cried  the  new-comer.  '  How  do  you 
feel  now  ?  Here  's  your  soup.  Aren't  you  ready  for 
it?' 

'I  reckon!'  answered  Ephraim,  smiling  in  his  own 
old  wa3\  '  Ef  this  weather  holds,  I  '11  be  around  agen 
in  no  time.  My  !  It 's  jest  glorious  ter  be  hyar.  But 
what  a  lot  of  trouble  I  'm  givin'  ye  all.  Luce.  I  ain't 
wuth  it,  ye  know.' 

Still  thinking  of  others  and  careless  of  himself,  the 
grand  old  Grizzly.     Lucius  flushed  deeply. 

'  See  here,  Grizzl}^,'  he  said,  setting  down  the  bowl 
upon  a  rustic  table,  and  placing  his  arm  affectionately 
round   his    friend's   neck,   '  don't   you   ever   say   that 


280  WHAT   CAME    OF   IT   ALL. 

again.  I£  there  is  anything  good  enough  for  you 
in  the  wide  world,  the  Markhams  have  got  to  find 
it  out.  Just  you  remember  that.  Where  should  I  be 
to-day  if  it  hadn't  been  for  you  ?  Lying  under  the 
ground  alongside  that  pesky  colonel,  as  you  called 
him.'  Then  as  Ephraim  was  silent,  he  went  on :  'I 
can't  do  much,  you  know.  Grizzly,  for  I  'm  only  a  boy, 
and  a  lame  one  at  that ;  but  I  've  got  a  piece  of  neMS 
for  you,  just  to  show  that  we  are  not  ungrateful. 
Father  has  arranged  with  Mr  Coulter  that,  as  soon  as 
you  are  able  for  it,  you  are  to  go  into  the  works  as 
assistant  mechanical  engineer.  Then,  when  the  war  is 
through,  he  's  going  to  send  you  to  college,  so  the  loss 
of  the  pile  doesn't  matter  after  all.  Meantime,  till  you 
go  to  college,  you  are  to  live  with  us.' 

Ephraim's  great  eyes  swam  in  tears.  He  caught 
Luce's  hand  in  both  his  own  and  fondled  it. 

'  Shucks  !  Luce,'  he  muttered  brokenly.  '  What  a 
fuss  ter  make  about  a  little  thing.  I  han't  never  took 
any  count  er  thet,  seein'  it  war  done  fer  you.' 


THE   END. 


RARE  BOOK 
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